Skeletal isomerization of 1-butene over ferrierite and ZSM-5 zeolites: Influence of zeolite acidity

Abstract

Three ferrierite (FER) and five ZSM-5 (MFI) zeolites with SiO2/Al2O3 ratio ranging from 27 to 2000 are tested as catalysts for the skeletal isomerization of 1-butene at 350-450 degrees C and atmospheric total pressure in order to study the influence of acidity and pore structure of zeolite on conversion and selectivity. The catalytic and NH3 temperature-programmed desorption results from FER and MFI catalysts with the same SiO2/Al2O3 ratio reveal that the pore structure of FER zeolite rather than its acidity may play an important role in achieving high selectivity for the skeletal isomerization of 1-butene to isobutene.