Journal of Catalysis, Vol.185, No.2, 435-444, 1999
Comparative evaluation of the catalytic properties of SAPO-31 and ZSM-48 for the hydroisomerization of N-octane: Effect of the acidity
The hydroconversion of n-octane, 2-methylheptane, and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane over Pt-Pd/SAPO-31 and Pt-Pd/ZSM-48 at 523 K and atmospheric pressure was studied. The acid SAPO-31 and ZSM-48 supports were synthesized by hydrothermal procedures and characterized by X ray, scanning electron microscopy, and MAS-NMR. Infrared spectra of adsorbed pyridine showed that these molecular sieves differ in their acidity not by the number of acid sites but by their strength. The bifunctional catalysts Pt-Pd/SAPO-31 and Pt-Pd/ZSM-48 were highly selective for the hydroisomerization of n-octane. Monomethyl isomers were the major products. These narrow tubular molecular sieves favored the formation of terminal methyl isomers 2MeC(7) and 2,5DMe-C-6. Acid strength has almost no effect on the hydroisomerization selectivity, but high acid strength led to a higher reaction rate. Isomerization of 2-methylheptane into 3MeC(7) by 1,2-methyl shift or into n-C-8 by PCP intermediate discriminates molecular sieves having channels of different diameters, the smaller the dimensions of the pores the lower the ratio of 3MeC(7)/n-C-8..