Transalkylation of benzene with 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene over nanosized ZSM-5

Nanosized ZSM-5 (NHZ) and micronsized ZSM-5 (MHZ) were employed in the transalkylation of benzene with 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene (1,2,4-TMB). Although the same reactions proceeded on the two catalysts, the catalytic activity of NHZ was higher than that of MHZ. The characterization results showed that compared with MHZ, NHZ had a higher adsorption capacity for 1,2,4-TMB, lager external surface area and more external strong acid sites. All these factors resulted in high activity of NHZ. The 48 h run results showed that NHZ had good ability to tolerate the coke deposits relative to MHZ. The secondary pores accommodated the coke. The activity and stability of Hβ zeolite was also studied for comparison.