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Abstract Rice husk is a major by-product of the rice-milling industries and is abundary available. Zeolite ZSM-5 was prepared from a reaction mixture containing a source of silica (rice husk ash), an organic compound (tetrapropyl -ammonium, TPA), an alkai metal oxide (sodium oxide) and water.The mixture was mainatined at 443 K and 20 atm approximately in a stain less-steel autoclave for at least 40 hours.Structure and mophology of synthesized zeolites were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning/ transmission electron microscope (S/TEM) spectra. Adsorption isotherms and diffusivities of benzene in ZSM-5 was also investigated by the TGA in the temperature range 300-423 K. The activation energy for diffusion of benzene in the synthesized ZSM-5 is Ea=20.68 kJmol-1. Furthermore, the infrared difference spectra also shows that benzene molecules have a high selectivity for adsorption on the energetic acied sites first. Four types of active acid sites on ZSM-5 were also identified SiOH, SiOH(NC), AlSiOH and Lewis acid sites by infrared spectroscopy.
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