ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Methanol to highly aromatic gasoline production over CuO-ZnO/HZSM-5 catalyst prepared by ultrasound-assisted co-impregnation

Erfan Aghaei, Zahra Taheri Rizi, Fatemeh Kazemi Zangeneh, Bahram Ghanbari, Lale Shirazi, and Yahya Zamani

Young Researchers and Elite Club, Kermanshah Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

E-mail: taheriz@ripi.ir

Received: 28 March 2020  Accepted: 3 March 2021

Abstract:

In the present research, the efficiency of the methanol to aromatics process was improved by metal doping of alkali leached ZSM-5 catalyst in the presence of ultrasound radiation. The influence of different ultrasound powers together with metal impregnation (conventional and/or by ultrasound-assisted) methods on the physicochemical properties and catalytic performance were investigated. The samples were characterized by employing various techniques, namely XRD, FESEM, adsorption–desorption of ammonia, FTIR and NH₃-TPD. The experimental results disclosed the presence of a mesoporous morphology on ZSM-5 by employing alkali treatment by NaOH. Meanwhile, XRD patterns of the metal-doped samples under irradiation with the ultrasound exhibited reduction in their crystallinity, corresponding to the increase in the ultrasound power. Furthermore, the performance of the catalysts was assessed by conducting the experiments at 375 °C, weight hourly space velocity of 5.5 h⁻¹ and at ambient pressure in a fixed bed reactor. The obtained results denoted that the major products were constituted of aromatic hydrocarbons. Based on the obtained results, the co-impregnation of the samples under ultrasound irradiation improved the obtained aromatic yield, reducing the benzene content in the product. It was suggested that the ultrasound irradiation developed synergetic effects among metal ions and acid sites, leading to the production of high aromatic hydrocarbons together with low-benzene content.

Keywords: CuO-ZnO/HZSM-5; Alkali treatment; Ultrasound; MTA; MTG

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-022-02638-7

Chemical Papers 77 (5) 2469–2482 (2023)