**3.2 Effect of HNO3 and/or NaOH treatment on the crystallinity of mordenite**

Crystallinity of a sample solid can be analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) which aims to determine and compare the crystallinity of mordenite either before or after treatment of HNO3 and/or NaOH. The level of crystallinity of the catalyst can be seen from the peak intensity, while the type of mineral can be seen from the position of the diffraction angle (2θ) and the distance between planes. The crystallinity of a mordenite is very important, because it will be related to the stability of the mordenite. The results of mordenite analysis after HNO3 treatment are shown in **Figure 1** and Intensity data of mordenite HM, AM0.1 and AM0.5 peaks in **Table 2**.

**Table 2** shows a decrease in the crystallinity of mordenite in line with the increasing concentration of HNO3, which can be seen in the decrease in mordenite intensity of AM0.1 and AM0.5 at 25.55°; 22.19°; and 27.51°. This was also confirmed by the percentage of crystallinity data of mordenite HM, AM0.1 and AM0.5 which were 100%, 91%, and 89%. This decrease in crystallinity was caused by the increasing amount of aluminum extracted from the mordenite (HM) framework [22].

The crystallinity test was also carried out on mordenite BHM, BAM0.1 and BAM0.5. The diffractograms of the three mordenites are shown in **Figure 2**. NaOH treatment has less effect on crystallinity than mordenite, where there was still a peak at 2θ 25.54°; 22.18°; and 27.50° and strengthened by mordenite intensity data BHM, BAM0.1, and BAM0.5 in **Table 3**.

**Table 3** shows the intensity data possessed by the three mordenite catalysts at the 3 highest peaks. Based on these results, it can be seen that overall there is no significant change at the 2θ peak after NaOH treatment, this is also evidenced by the percentage data of mordenite crystallinity of 94%, 95%, and 94%.

Overall the crystallinity of mordenite treated with HNO3 and/or NaOH did not change significantly. Therefore, this mordenite can be used further in the hydrolyzed α-cellulose hydrotreating process. This is because the hydrotreating process is carried out at high temperatures so that a catalyst with good crystallinity is needed or is maintained so that the stability of mordenite as a catalyst will also be maintained and will produce good activity.

**Figure 1.** *Diffractogram HM (a), AM0.1 (b) and AM0.5 (c).*


#### *The Effect of HNO3 and/or NaOH Treatments on Characteristics of Mordenite DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96444*

**Table 2.**

*Intensity data of mordenite HM, AM0.1 and AM0.5 peaks.*

#### **Figure 2.** *Diffractograms of BHM (a), BAM0.1 (b) and BAM0.5 (c).*


**Table 3.**

*Intensity data of mordenite BHM, BAM0.1 and BAM0.5 peaks.*
