Modification and characterization of Mordenite zeolite derived from waste coal fly ash and its application as a heterogeneous catalyst for the n-butyl levulinate synthesis.

The thermal power plants produce huge quantity of fly ash as waste materials, and dumped in to the ash dykes, which occupies several acres of land and ultimately, spoil it. Researchers are looking for the reasonable treatment process to convert the fly ash into useful materials like zeolites. In this work, fly ash derived Mordenite zeolite has been synthesized with improved catalytic activity. The utility of this material is demonstrated as a solid acid catalyst for the synthesis of n-butyl levulinate from biomass derived levulinic acid. This study demonstrates successful cost effective transformation of fly ash into environmentally benign catalyst. [Display omitted] • Waste coal fly ash (CFA) transformation into value added materials. • Synthesis of zeolites (Mordenite) from waste coal fly ash and their characterization. • Synthesis of n-butyl levulinate from levulinic acid using fly ash derived zeolites. • High conversion with selectivity towards n-butyl levulinate. • Proposed reaction mechanism for the synthesis of n-butyl levulinate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]