Skeketal isomerization of butenes over MCM-22 zeolite

Jos Luiz F. Monteiro (COPPE/UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Priscila Moczydlower (CENPES/Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Heloise de O. Pastore (Instituto de Qumica/UNICAMP, Campinas, Brazil Isobutene is an important product obtained from the isomerization of normal butenes and its use has grown recently since it can be converted to MTBE, used as a co-polymer or as raw material for the production of antioxidants. Increasing environmental concern has fostered the search for solid catalysts that could replace the mineral acids currently employed to isomerize linear butenes. Among those, zeolites have drawn considerable attention in recent years. This work reports the results obtained in the skeletal isomerization of linear butenes over MCM-22 zeolite. Two samples with different silica/alumina ratios (SAR), namely 23 and 38, were synthesized, modified and evaluated at 500C by feeding a mixture of 1-butene diluted in nitrogen to the reactor. The sample with a SAR of 23 was also modified by ion exchange with sodium, by coke deposition from mxylene and toluene, and by dealumination. Among the original samples in the protonic form, that with the highest SAR showed lower activity but a better selectivity. Ion exchanging the sample with the lowest SAR with sodium reduced both the activity and the selectivity due to the preferential deposition of sodium ions on the most selective sites for isobutene formation. The samples on which coke was pre-generated by reaction with m-xylene or toluene showed a significant increase of selectivity, when compared to the original zeolite, but limited stability. On the other hand, the dealuminated sample was very active and selective, and also exhibited a remarkably high stability as compared to other zeolites reported in the literature.