Contributions to the lifetime widening of hierarchical HZSM-5 zeolites in the ETH reaction

Abstract

Ethanol to hydrocarbons (ETH) reactions have received special attention due to the environmental problems caused by the use of fossil fuels. Its potential can be especially explored in the Brazilian scenario, where the production of ethanol from renewable sources is consolidated. These reactions can be carried out via heterogeneous catalysis by protonic zeolites, especially H-ZSM-5. In this reaction, the confinement effect is dominant in the production of C3+ hydrocarbons. However, the formation of active aromatic species in confined acidic sites results in the production of coke, deactivating the catalyst, which can be minimized by the use of hierarchical zeolites, which contain meso and/or macropores, which facilitate the diffusion of intermediate species and of the reaction products. The engineering of the pores of H-ZSM-5 zeolites, through the synthesis in the presence of organosilanes and also the control of their morphology through the preparation of nanometric and nanosheets zeolites will be addressed in this project. The optimization of the reactor operating conditions as well as the advanced characterization, qualitative and quantitative, of the coke formed and its structural effects on the different zeolites will bring contributions that will allow optimizing the catalytic performance in the ETH reaction, by widening the lifetime of the catalysts.