In-situ growth of zeolite-A in the fiber surface for methane adsorption

Methane as an anthropogenic gas has an effect on the atmosphere and can be used as an alternative natural gas using adsorbent material. This research aims to determine the impact of activation conditions on the surface of fibers for zeolite-A crystal growth utilized for CH4 adsorption. Glass fiber and pineapple fiber have been treated with an alkali used in this research. The concentration of NaOH and fiber immersion time determine the activation conditions. The activation process altered the crystallinity of the surface-deposited zeolite-A. Characterization by XRD and SEM revealed that zeolite-A covered the surface of those fibers when the NaOH concentration was 4M and the immersion time was 24 h. Thermal analysis revealed that the composite of zeolite-A/fibers undergoes two weight loss processes prior to achieving stability. The methane adsorption gravimetric measurements for zeolite-A supported glass fiber (glass wool) and pineapple fiber with high crystallinities are 4.644% wt and 3.461% wt, respectively.