Synthesis of Ferrierite-Type Zeolite in the Presence of a Catalytic Amount of Pyrrolidine and Sodium Bis(2-ethyhlhexyl) Sulfosuccinate

Abstract Synthesis of ferrierite (FER) type zeolite with varying Si to Al ratios in the presence of a catalytic amount of pyrrolidine and sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in aqueous media is reported. The surfactant moieties direct pyrrolidine molecules in a particular fashion, resulting in a sixfold decrease in the required amount of template as compared to conventional procedure, for FER crystallization. The product obtained was highly crystalline and pure. In the presence of AOT alone, ferrierite co-crystallized with the ZSM-5 phase, indicating AOT is not acting as a structure-directing agent and a small concentration of pyrrolidine (∼2 wt%) template is essential for the ferrierite crystallization. A scanning electron micrograph showed uniformity in crystals (average 2–3 μm) consisting of broad plate type morphology. The crystal structure of FER (AOT/Py) maintains structural integrity until about 1000°C. FER (AOT/Py) has been further characterized by employing XRD, XRF, IR, and TG/DTA techniques.