DOI: https://doi.org/10.9767/bcrec.20781

Synthesis and Characterization of Indonesian Natural Zeolite as a Potential Support Material for n-Hexane Isomerization Catalyst

1Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia

2Catalyst and Materials, Technology Innovation (TI), Direktorat SPPU, PT Pertamina (Persero) jalan Raya Bekasi Km 20, Pulogadung, Jakarta, Indonesia

Received: 22 Jun 2026; Revised: 14 Aug 2026; Accepted: 15 Aug 2026; Available online: 27 Aug 2026; Published: 26 Dec 2026.
Editor(s): Istadi Istadi
Open Access Copyright (c) 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Abstract

The demand for high-quality fuel with a high-octane number or Research Octane Number (RON) continues to increase due to strict emission standards and the ban on lead-based additives. This study aims to develop a catalyst material based on Indonesian natural zeolites from Lampung (ZAL), Bayah (ZAB), and Tasikmalaya (ZAT) through pre-treatment optimization to obtain comparable mesoporous material properties with Mobil Composition of Matter No. 41 (MCM-41). This catalyst is designed for the isomerization process of n-hexane into iso-hexane as a model compound for light naphtha. The research focuses on utilizing Indonesian natural zeolite in combination with desilication techniques using NaOH and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as surface directing agents. The catalyst is characterized by using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Surface Area Analysis (SAA), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to identify the surface morphology of zeolite. XRD results show structural alteration in the low-to-high θ/2θ region with increasing NaOH concentration. XRF analysis reveals that the bulk Si and Al contents remain relatively stable (Si: 34.73-36.6 wt%; Al: 6.55-8.1 wt%), confirming that desilication occurs selectively at the crystal surface rather than altering the bulk composition. SAA data demonstrate substantial enhancement of textural properties, with the specific surface area increasing from 40.5 to 131.7 m²/g for ZAL, 36.5 to 134.9 m²/g for ZAT, and 46.9 to 101.0 m²/g for ZAB after 1.5 M NaOH treatment. SEM images reveal morphological changes from a defined crystalline texture to a more dispersed surface upon increasing NaOH concentration. Copyright © 2026 by Authors, Published by BCREC Publishing Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Keywords: Indonesian Natural Zeolite; MCM-41; NaOH; CTAB; Desilication
Funding: Universitas Indonesia;PT Pertamina (Persero)

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Section: Original Research Articles
Language : EN
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