Abstract
The oil, a non-renewable energy source, is the main raw material used to produce derivatives such as fuels, lubricants and petrochemicals. In this context, ethanol, a renewable feedstock, becomes a source for obtaining high value-added hydrocarbons, such as benzene, toluene, etc. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of different metal catalysts supported on HZSM-5 zeolite for the ethanol conversion into products with higher added value. Two series of catalysts were prepared with different metals and different amounts of Ni on commercial HZSM-5. Samples were characterized by specific area SBET, XRD, NH3-TPD and TPO. The activity runs were carried out in a tubular fixed bed reactor in the temperature range between 300 and 400 °C, using ethanol as a reactant. The results suggest that the type and the amount of metal used for the modification of commercial HZSM-5 zeolite influence the selectivity for formation of higher hydrocarbons as well as the reaction temperature. The formation of heavy products was favored by low flow rates and it was found that the selectivity for higher hydrocarbons declined throughout the reaction due to the deposition of carbon over the catalyst.
Keywords:
heterogeneous catalysis; conversion of ethanol; HZSM-5 zeolite; supported catalysts; higher hydrocarbons
