Comparison of synthesis of meso-pore zeolite MCM-41 by microwave crystallization, room-temperature crystallization and hydrothermal crystallization

Meso-pore zeolite MCM-41 was synthesized by means of microwave crystallization, room-temperature crystallization and hydrothermal crystallization. Then, the operation parameters of these three methods and the physical properties of the resulted MCM-41 were compared in detail. Experimental results suggest that (1) MCM-41 prepared via microwave crystallization possesses better properties than that prepared via room-temperature crystallization, even better than that prepared via the traditional hydrothermal crystallization; (2) microwave crystallization is energy-saving and eco-friendly, and is easy to operate without crystalline conversion in the crystallization process; (3) the synthesis period of microwave crystallization is 2-3 times less than that of the traditional hydrothermal crystallization; (4) the resulted MCM-41 prepared via microwave crystallization possesses high dispersion degree, narrow pore size distribution, good thermal stability (more than 900°C) and excellent hydrothermal stability, and is of a specific surface area of more than 1000 m²/g, a crystal diameter of 30 nm, a pore volume of 1.178 mL/g and a pore wall thickness of 2.55 nm. It is thus concluded that the microwave crystallization, instead of the traditional hydrothermal one, will become a practical technology for synthesizing MCM-41