BETA ZEOLITE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

1 - 6 . (canceled)

7 . A method for producing a beta zeolite, the method comprising bringing a beta zeolite parent powder synthesized without using an organic structure-directing agent into contact with an alkaline aqueous solution having a pH of 12 or higher.

8 . The method according to claim 7 ,

wherein when the parent powder and the alkaline aqueous solution are brought into contact with each other, a liquid temperature of the alkaline aqueous solution is set to 40° C. or above and 100° C. or below and a ratio of the parent powder to the alkaline aqueous solution is set to 10 g/L or greater and 1000 g/L or less.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , comprising:

mixing a reactant mixture with the beta zeolite obtained by bringing the parent powder into contact with the alkaline aqueous solution such that an amount of the beta zeolite is from 0.1 to 20 mass % with respect to a silica component in the reactant mixture,

wherein the reactant mixture has a composition with molar ratios below:

SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 =from 10 to 200,

Na 2 O/SiO 2 =from 0.18 to 0.4, and

H 2 O/SiO 2 =from 10 to 50;

and

heating a resulting mixture at 100° C. or above and 200° C. or below in a sealed state.

10 . A beta zeolite having a SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 molar ratio of 16 or less,

a 90th percentile particle size D 90 , on a volume basis, of 10 μm or less, as determined by laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analysis, and

a micropore volume of from 0.15 to 0.30 cm 3 /g.

11 . A catalytically active component comprising the beta zeolite according to claim 10 .

12 . An adsorbent comprising the beta zeolite according to claim 10 .