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New catalyst for skeletal isomerization of olefins

Conference · · Natl. Pet. Refiners Assoc. Annu. Meet. Pap.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6320915

The catalyst, which combines high activity and selectivity for isoolefins with outstanding mechanical, thermal, and hydrothermal stability, is an active alumina in the ..gamma.. or g form modified by treatment with tetraethyl orthosilicate to obtain an imperfect monolayer of surface silica. When used to isomerize n-butenes to isobutene at 470/sup 0/C, the catalyst showed a 78% by wt selectivity at 35% n-butene conversion and 27% isobutene yield per pass and was able to withstand over 100 cycles of regeneration with air at 500/sup 0/-550/sup 0/C with no significant deactivation or sintering. Isomerization of n-butenes to isobutene in mixed C/sub 4/ streams used as feedstocks in the Snamprogetti S.p.A./ANIC S.p.A. synthesis of methyl tert.-butyl ether (MTBE) (by reacting isobutene with methanol, can increase the yield of MTBE from the same feedstocks, such as catalytic cracker C/sub 4/ streams, by 70%. Based on the present availability of C/sub 4/ feedstocks, world-wide (U.S.) MTBE production capacities can be thus increased from 17.6 (11.3) to 60 (43.2) million tons/yr.

Research Organization:
Snamprogetti S.P.A.
OSTI ID:
6320915
Report Number(s):
CONF-8003198-
Journal Information:
Natl. Pet. Refiners Assoc. Annu. Meet. Pap.; (United States), Journal Name: Natl. Pet. Refiners Assoc. Annu. Meet. Pap.; (United States) Vol. AM-80-44
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English