Synthesis, characterization and catalytic performance of MCM-41 and SBA-15 from bottom ash of TG bin power plant / Nurul Barakah Ab Rahman

Coal electric generator produced huge amount of waste which can be categorized into bottom and fly ash. In this research, bottom ash was chose instead of fly ash because very limited research was reported. Bottom ash known to have high percentage of silica has been utilized to produce mesoporous which are MCM-41 and SBA-15. The prepared mesoporous silica was then functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy-silane (APTES) and the catalytic performance of functionalized mesoporous silica was determined in the oxidation reaction of cyclohexene. The percent yield of silica extracted from bottom ash via alkali fusion found to be 23% and used in synthesis of MCM-41 and SBA-15. As comparison, TEOS was used as silica source. APTES is needed to increase the hydrophobicity of framework MCM-41 and ^SBA-15 thus enhanced their catalytic performance. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption of P MCM-41, P SBA-15 and BA SBA-15 shows type IV isotherm while BA MCM-41 exhibit type III isotherm. Calcined BA MCM-41, NH2 BA MCM-41, calcined BA MCM-41, NH2 BA MCM-41, calcined P SBA-15 and NH2 P SBA-15 characterized using XRD revealed the well ordered (100), (110) and (200) peak which confirmed hexagonal structure. FTIR spectra showed that the organosilane group still retained in the pore channels even after functionalized with APTES.FESEM micrograph shows that all purely synthesis MCM-41 and SBA-15 exhibit worm-like morphology whilst the bottom ash synthesized MCM-41 and SBA-15 have agglomerated images.