Promoting role of catalytic amount of glycerol in crystallization of THF-FER zeolite

The hydrothermal crystallization of THF-FER zeolite was investigated in the reactant system of Na2O-SiO2-Al2O3-H2O with tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the template in the presence of various catalytic amount of glycerol [CH2(OH)CH(OH)CH2(OH), Glyc] in the temperature range of 413-473 K. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to observe the crystallization process, and scanning electron microscope (SEM), C-13 cross polarization (CP) and Al-27 magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR), X-ray fluorescence scattering spectroscopy (XRF), thermal analysis and nitrogen sorption were used to characterize the zeolite synthesized in the reactant system with Glyc. The catalytic amount of Glyc could promote the crystallization of FER zeolite, to result in lowering the reaction temperature, shortening the period of the zeolite crystallization and effectively restraining cocrystallization of MOR zeolite as an impure phase especially at low reaction temperature, and possess a significant effect on the morphology and the crystal size of THF-FER zeolite.