John L. Casci

Crystallization of “inorganic” ZSM-5 in the system K2OAl2O3SiO2H2O

Abstract Crystallization of high-silica zeolites from the composition y K 2 O : x Al 2 O 3 : 60 SiO 2 : 3000 H 2 O (5 y x y = 15, x = 0.667) was found to be a sensitive detector for traces of seed material and organic species. Thus, it was discovered that this composition, termed the “Scavenging Gel,” could be used to establish the cleanliness of a reaction vessel. In addition, it can be used to distinguish between true ZSM-5 structure directors and simple void fillers as well as give a measure of their potency. Another useful feature of this composition is that very small amounts of organic reagents can be readily screened for their ability to direct the crystallization to ZSM-5; such a test could save both time and money when examining new templates.