ABSTRACT

The compound 4-methylthiazole (4-MT) is an intermediate in the manufacture of thiabendazole (TBZ), a systemic fungicide used for spoilage control of citrus fruit, for the treatment and prevention of Dutch elm disease in trees, for control of fungal diseases of seed potatoes and as an anthelmintic. A variety of zeolites were tested, both large- and medium-pore materials. The zeolites L and omega showed very poor initial activity and were not further considered. Since zeolites can be dealuminated under such conditions, zeolites having high hydrothermal stability were chosen for testing. Initial studies concentrated on the use of various Y types and beta, both large-pore zeolites, and Zeolite Socony Mobil–5, a medium-pore zeolite. A variety of metal salts were either ion exchanged into the zeolite or impregnated by pore-filling on the zeolite. It was found that the yield of 4-MT was directly proportional to the molecular weight of the group I metals.