화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of Catalysis, Vol.212, No.2, 216-224, 2002
Isopropylation of xylenes catalyzed by ultrastable zeolite Y (USY) and some other solid acid catalysts
The isopropylation of all three xylene isomers was carried out over ultrastable zeolite Y (USY) catalyst to give corresponding dimethyl (1-methylethyl) benzenes, or in other words dimethyl cumenes (DMCs), using isopropanol as alkylating agent. The effect of reaction temperature, space velocity, substrate-to-alkylating-agent molar ratio, and time-on-stream on conversion of xylene isomers and selectivity to dimethyl cumene was studied. Isopropylation of xylenes over USY gives quite high (80 to 95%) DMC selectivity among the dimethyl cumenes, along with a 70-90% yield of DMCs in total products with respect to limiting reagents, i.e., isopropylating agents at relatively low reaction temperatures (423 +/- 10 K) and at quite high xylene conversions (85-97% of theoretical maximum value). The solid acid catalysts zeolites H-Y, H-beta, H-mordenite, as well as silica-alumina and sulfated zirconia, were included for comparative studies in the isopropylation of m-xylene.