Sustainable Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolite A as an Alternative to Commercial Molecular Sieves for Moisture Adsorption in Oil and Gas Processing

Meyliana Wulandari; Nesya Juniar; Wawan Rustyawan; Stella Jovita; Pandian Bothi Raja; Nofrizal Nofrizal

doi:10.22146/ijc.110739

Sustainable Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolite A as an Alternative to Commercial Molecular Sieves for Moisture Adsorption in Oil and Gas Processing

https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.110739

Meyliana Wulandari^(1*), Nesya Juniar⁽²⁾, Wawan Rustyawan⁽³⁾, Stella Jovita⁽⁴⁾, Pandian Bothi Raja⁽⁵⁾, Nofrizal Nofrizal⁽⁶⁾

(1) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jl. Rawamangun Muka, Jakarta Timur 13220, Indonesia
(2) Department of Chemistry Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidyatullah Jakarta, Jl. Ir H. Juanda No. 95, Banten 15412, Indonesia
(3) Research and Technology Innovation, Pertamina, Jl. Raya Bekasi, Jakarta Timur 13820, Indonesia
(4) Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Data Analytics, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Jl. Raya ITS, Keputih, Sukolilo, Surabaya 60111, Indonesia
(5) School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
(6) Research and Development Center for Oil and Gas Technology – LEMIGAS, Jl. Ciledug Raya Kavling. 109, Jakarta 12230, Indonesia
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

The presence of water during downstream oil and gas production can cause corrosion and blockages through reactions with CO₂ and H₂S. Zeolites are effective desiccants for moisture adsorption due to their microporous aluminosilicate framework. In this study, zeolite A was synthesized hydrothermally by varying the Si/Al molar ratio (0.80, 1.14, 1.80) and temperature (70, 100, 130 °C) to identify the optimal conditions for moisture adsorption. XRD analysis revealed that the zeolite synthesized at a Si/Al ratio of 1.14 and 130 °C achieved the highest crystallinity (97%), comparable to commercial molecular sieve A. Surface area analysis (BET) showed that this synthesized zeolite exhibited a surface area of 127.48 m²/g and a pore diameter of 53 Å. The adsorption capacity test in a humidity chamber demonstrated a value of 0.188 ppmv for the synthesized zeolite, compared to 1.101 ppmv for the commercial molecular sieve. The lower adsorption efficiency was attributed to reduced surface area, incomplete crystallinity, and diffusion limitations. Nevertheless, the optimized synthesis route produced zeolite A with desirable structural and textural properties, offering a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative desiccant for gas dehydration applications in the oil and gas industry.

Keywords

hydrothermal; molecular sieve; moisture adsorption; zeolite

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/ijc.110739