Scientists from the Institute of Catalysis SB RAS have improved the method for synthesizing zeolites, which will improve their quality and reduce dependence on imports. New technology makes the process cheaper, more environmentally friendly and more efficient.
Zeolites are microporous materials that play a key role in oil refining. They are used in catalysts for hydrotreating and hydrocracking, but until now Russian samples have been inferior in quality to foreign ones. The main problem is the crystal size: for domestic zeolites it is 1 micron, while foreign analogues have only 300–400 nanometers.
To solve this problem, scientists modernized the vapor-phase crystallization method. Unlike traditional methods, which require large amounts of water, energy and expensive reagents, the new technology is based on the treatment of dry gel with water vapor. This allows you to:
- increase the product yield to 100% (versus 50% with standard synthesis);
- reduce the volume of toxic waste;
- reduce production costs.
Now researchers are working to reduce the cost of the process and create template-free ZSM-5 zeolite. The immediate plans include scaling the method and testing it in industrial conditions.
The development of Russian scientists will help reduce the dependence of the oil refining industry on imports and increase the efficiency of catalysts. This is an important step in the development of domestic technologies.
Source: neftegaz.ru
