ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The use of a large-pore catalyst with a high surface area, MCM-41, loaded with alumina, is explored for the production of ethylene and propylene from methanol conversion. MCM-41 is a silica-based catalyst with low Lewis acid site strength. Al/MCM-41 was treated with boric acid at three different concentrations. A modified catalyst was characterized using BET, chemisorptions, XRD and SEM. The total surface area was observed to reduce after boric acid treatment with the treatment of MCM-41. The maximum decrease in surface area was obtained with the treatment of Al/MCM-41 with boric acid (1M). An N2 adsorption-desorption plot shows a change in the porous structure of the catalyst after treatment with boric acid. The conversion studies were performed at different temperatures between 250-450°C and liquid flow rate in the range of 30 to 120 ml/min. The effect of the catalyst on the selectivity of ethylene and propylene was studied with Al/MCM-41 and B-Al/ MCM-41. Results showed that the boric acid treated Al/MCM-41 helps to increase the selectivity of the catalyst toward propylene production. Gas yield was also observed to increase after using the boric acid treated catalyst. A 20.3% decrease in the coke yield was observed when the experiments were performed with the boric acid treated catalyst as compared to an untreated catalyst. However, no significant effect on the coke production was obtained in the presence of three boric acid treated Al/MCM-41 catalysts.
