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Title: Comparative study of shape-selective toluene alkylations over HZSM-5

Journal Article · · Journal of Catalysis; (USA)
;  [1]
  1. The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot (Israel)

The alkylation of toluene with methanol, ethanol, and 2-propanol was studied in a comparative manner using medium-port HZSM-5-type zeolite catalysts differing in crystal size and morphology and in the presence of an amorphous silica-boria phase. For comparison with large-port zeolites, propylation was also performed on H-mordenite (HM) and HY. A typical small-crystal HZSM-5 sample is non-para-selective in methylation and ethylation but exhibits substantial para-selectivity in propylation. When the catalyst is a large-crystal HZSM-5, para-selectivity is established in the case of methylation and ethylation and improves in the case of propylation; it is further enhanced with a large-crystal sample containing the amorphous phase. In contrast with HM and HY, which in toluene propylation produce only cymene, the HZSM-5 samples also catalyze the production of n-propyltoluene whose concentration in the product mixture can be twice as high as that of cymene. Cymene becomes the preferred product (up to {approximately} 10:1 ratio) upon increasing space velocity or time on stream. It is proposed that in the case of C{sub 3} and perhaps also larger ring substituents, skeletal isomerization is operative in ZSM-5 in addition to positional isomerization. Shape selectivity as revealed in the above comparison can be explained by assuming both internal and external catalytic activity in HZSM-5, as opposed to the essentially exclusively internal activity of HM and HY. It is further postulated that the proposed external effect is shape-selective, discriminating between molecules at a range in between that of the medium-port 10-ring channels as found in HZSM-5 and that of the large=port 12-ring channels characterizing HM and HY.

OSTI ID:
7014295
Journal Information:
Journal of Catalysis; (USA), Vol. 118:1; ISSN 0021-9517
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English