The effect of pre-coking and regeneration on the activity and stability of Zn/ZSM-5 in aromatization of 2-methyl-2-butene

A new method to modify the acidity of zeolite was attempted to improve the activity and stability of Zn/ZSM-5 in aromatization of 2-methyl-2-butene. Pre-coking and regeneration in the presence of O2 at 773 K generated a large exothermic heat in a short time, which resulted in the thermal dealumination of framework aluminum that acted as a Brønsted acid site. The treatment had a profound effect on the acid properties of the catalyst as probed by 27Al MAS NMR, temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, and pyridine FTIR. The results showed that the concentration of oxygen in regeneration step had critical effects on the acidity and stability of Zn/ZSM-5. Thus improvement of lifetime of Zn/ZSM-5 in aromatization of 2-methyl-2-butene was achieved without deteriorating activity and selectivity by the pre-coking and controlled regeneration by oxygen.

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► Zn/ZSM-5 was used for the aromatization of 2-metheyl-2-butene.
► Oxidative regeneration showed enhanced stability and the same conversion compared with the fresh catalyst.
► Changes in structure and acidity of zeolite during regeneration were revealed by various characterization methods.
► The enhanced stability resulted from the preferential removal of strong Brønsted acid sites.