Synthesis and consequence of Zn modified ZSM-5 zeolite supported Ni catalyst for catalytic aromatization of olefin/paraffin

Zn modified ZSM-5 zeolite supported Ni bifunctional catalysts were prepared by in-situ hydrothermal synthesis (Zn-Ni-ZSM-5), co-impregnation method (Zn-Ni/ZSM-5) as well as combining in-situ hydrothermal synthesis of Zn-ZSM-5 and sequential impregnation of Ni (Ni/Zn-ZSM-5) and used for the selective converting olefin to aromatics applicable for FCC gasoline hydro-upgrading. The Lewis (L) acid sites generated by ZnOH + species and hydrogenation active sites from Ni 0 species were varied with preparation method, in which their locations at the external surface or micropores of zeolite changed the acid properties of catalysts. Comparing to the Zn-Ni/ZSM-5 from the co-impregnation method, direct in-situ hydrothermal method could incorporate Zn and Ni species within zeolite, which makes the strong interaction between the metal species and the framework Al to form medium-strong L acids (ZnOH + /NiOH + ). This leads to the decrease of ratio of Brønsted acid sites to L acid sites (B/L) from 0.40 to 0.12 and the difficulty in reducing of Ni cations to Ni 0 from 57% to 30% Ni 0 percent. Ni/Zn-ZSM-5 sample prepared by incorporating Zn species into micropores and sequential depositing Ni species at the external surface of zeolite possesses a low B/L ratio similar to Zn-Ni-ZSM-5 (0.20 versus 0.12) but a much higher Ni 0 percent (52% versus 30%). Zn-Ni-ZSM-5 shows closer intimacy between Zn and Ni species comparing to Zn-Ni/ZSM-5 and Ni/Zn-ZSM-5. For the 1-hexene aromatization, the formed iso -alkene at acid sites was quickly saturated to iso -alkanes by the adjacent Ni 0 particles over Ni-Zn-ZSM-5 catalyst in hydrogen steam. However, the location of aromatization active sites (ZnOH + , L acid sites) in micropores and hydrogenation active sites (Ni 0 species) on external surface of Ni/Zn-ZSM-5 makes the tandem conversion of n-alkene →  iso -alkene → aromatics, rather than the n-alkene →  iso -alkene →  iso -alkane. Thus, Zn-Ni-ZSM-5 with close intimacy of ZnOH + and Ni 0 particles shows a high iso -alkane selectivity (27.9% iC 4 + ), while Ni/Zn-ZSM-5 exhibits a high aromatics selectivity (39.6 %) in the conversion of 1-hexene in hydrogen steam. Similar results have also found in the conversion of n-heptane. Here, the control of the intimacy of Zn and Ni in ZSM-5 zeolites has been realized to be a good protocol to adjust the selective conversion of olefins/alkanes to aromatics versus iso -alkanes.