Borosilicate molecular sieves

Zeolite and Molecular Sieve-Based Process. Mobil has commercialized several xylene isomerization processes that are based on ZSM-5. Amoco has developed a process based on a medium-pore borosilicate molecular sieve. 

Crystalline borosilicate molecular sieves have been the object of an intensive investigation effort since they were reported in the open literature at the Fifth International Conference on Zeolites by Taramasso, et al. (1) A wide range of structures containing framework boron have been synthesized. The physical properties of these borosilicate molecular sieves have been studied by such techniques as X-ray diffraction, infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, and temperature programmed desorption of ammonia. In addition, the catalytic performance of borosilicate molecular sieves has been reported for such reactions as xylene isomerization, benzene alkylation, butane dehydroisomerization, and methanol conversion. This paper will review currently available information about the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic performance of borosilicate molecular sieves. 

The synthesis of zeolites and zeolitic materials has been pursued for nearly 50 years (2), and the literature is filled with reports of structures, methods of preparation, and uses for these materials. The substitution of aluminum or silicon in the framework structure has been performed using many main group elements (3.41 as well as some transition metals (3.5). New families of molecular sieves which are based on an aluminophosphate framework have been reported recently, some of which are also microporous (6.7). Of the various new materials which have been reported, this review will focus on crystalline borosilicate molecular sieves. 

The growing interest in the properties of borosilicate molecular sieves has led to a significant increase in the number of reports which specify a borosilicate molecular sieve as the important component in catalyst compositions (8-11). The range of reactions which have been claimed include a variety of hydrocarbon conversions such as xylene isomerization (8.12),... 

Borosilicates have been prepared via hydrothermal synthesis in alkaline solutions (1.16-24). Alternatively, synthesis has been successful from neutral or slightly acidic media in the presence of fluoride anions (22). Borosilicate molecular sieves have been prepared through secondary synthesis techniques as reported by Derouane, et al. (26.), in which the aluminosilicate ZSM-5 was treated with boron trichloride to replace aluminum with boron in tetrahedral sites. 

The preparation of a borosilicate molecular sieve (termed by the authors "borozeosilite") at relatively low pH, in the neutral to acidic range, has been reported (25). A reaction mixture comprising a silica source, boric acid, tetrapropyl-ammonium bromide and an ammonium fluoride salt was digested hydrothermally at 170°C. Subsequent calcination of the product in air at 550°C was performed to remove organic template and to provide the hydrogen form of the molecular sieve. 

A number of borosilicate molecular sieves have been discovered using these synthesis techniques. By changing the organic compound and other reaction variables, it is possible to prepare various borosilicate structures (1,11.24.28). Modifications of zeolites and molecular sieves with boron compounds which do not lead to tetrahedral (framework) boron will not be addressed in this article. 

X-Rav Diffraction. Borosilicate molecular sieves have been studied by X-ray diffraction (1.16-20 ). X-ray diffraction techniques have been developed to determine the degree of substitution of the silicate framework by borate tetrahedra (291. The boron-oxygen bond is shorter than the the silicon-oxygen bond, which leads to a contraction of the unit cell for a borosilicate molecular sieve as boron substitution increases. The unit cell volume determined from peak positions in the ranges 2O°<20<35< and 45°<20<5O° or an empirical parameter termed ST (sum of four d spacings) correlated with structural boron content (29). 

Infrared Spectroscopy. Infrared spectroscopy has been used to study borosilicate molecular sieves (22.25.33-361. Vibrational bands associated with trigonal framework boron occur near 900 cm"1 and 1400 cm 1 (22.25.331. The presence of the Si-0-B asymmetric stretching vibration, indicative of tetrahedral framework boron incorporation, cannot be observed directly because it is masked by the strong Si-0-Si band near 1100 cm-1 in the pentasil structures. The tetrahedral Si-O-B vibration has been observed for the borosilicate mineral danburite (.33). Shifts of bands in the framework vibrational region at 550 cm"1 and 560 cm"1 to higher frequencies as a function of boron content has been used to study boron incorporation in the framework of AMS-1B borosilicate (36). 

Evaluation of the hydroxyl region of the spectrum (4000-3000 cm-1) has been reported by several authors for borosilicate molecular sieves (33.35-381. The well-known band near 3610 cm-1 associated with acidic hydroxyls in aluminum-containing ZSM-5 (36-401 is not observed for the borosilicate molecular sieve. Assignment of a band at 3725 cm"1 to hydroxyls associated with structural boron (37.381 was... 

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. The use of 11B NMR spectroscopy to examine the state of boron in borosilicate molecular sieves has been reported (21.22.24-26.43.441. Scholle and Veeman (43) reported that the boron resonance is characteristic of tetrahedral boron when the samples are hydrated. Dehydration of a borosilicate sample results in a shift to a trigonal environment, as evidenced by the lineshape and peak position. The trigonal boron remains in the framework, and the change between trigonal and tetrahedral environments is reversible. Boron NMR has also been used to show that boron from Pyrex liners can be incorporated in molecular sieve frameworks during synthesis of MFI and MOR structure types (21.44). 

Proton NMR of a borosilicate molecular sieve was reported by Scholle and co-workers in a study of the hydroxyl groups in borosilicate, silicalite, and ZSM-5 (45). In this study, the silanol protons in both borosilicate and aluminosilicate materials were observed at a chemical shift of -2 ppm relative to Me4Si. A low field resonance attributed to hydroxyls associated with the heteroatom (B or Al) was shifted to higher field for the boron-containing sieve relative to the aluminum-containing sieve (—3.5 ppm vs -6 ppm). This was interpreted as indicating that the borosilicate hydroxyls are less acidic than those of the aluminosilicate, consistent with the IR results reported above. 

Temperature Programmed Desorption. Ammonia has been used as a probe molecule in a number of studies of crystalline borosilicate molecular sieve (22,33,45). It has been shown that the ammonia is desorbed from the borosilicate samples at low temperature, 465°K, indicating the weak acidity of the hydroxyls (33). The hydroxyls have been shown to have higher acidity than silanol groups and lower acidity than those of ZSM-5 (45). The results are consistent with IR and calorimetric data for NH3 adsorption/desorption (35.). ... 

Although adsorption processes represent an extremely large application of molecular sieves (49), applications in the area of heterogeneous catalysis have received the most attention for borosilicate molecular sieves. Due to the inherently weaker acidity of borosilicates relative to aluminosilicates, a number of advantages in using borosilicates have been reported due to improved product distributions or reaction selectivities. 

Methanol Conversion. Methanol conversion reactions based on borosilicate catalysts have been studied extensively (10.15,24,28.33.52-54). During the conversion of methanol, the reaction proceeds through a number of steps, to yield dimethylether, then olefins, followed by paraffins and aromatics. The weaker acid sites of borosilicate molecular sieves relative to those of aluminosilicates require higher reaction temperatures to yield aromatics. The use of less forceful process conditions leads to the formation of olefins selectively, instead of a mixture of paraffins, olefins, and aromatics (10.28.53.54). 

Various borosilicates have been reported in the methanol conversion process. In a study reported in 1984, Holderich gave details for the preparation of propene selectively from methanol using a borosilicate molecular sieve of the MFI structure type (10 ). Autocatalysis was observed when small amounts of olefin were added to the feed. Modification of the borosilicates using HF, HC1, or extrusion with amorphous silica-alumina led to changes in the observed product distribution to yield more C2-C4 olefins. Use of borosilicates of the MOR and ERI structure types for methanol conversion was reported by lone, et al. (28). The selectivity to olefins was improved for borosilicates with these structures relative to the silicate of the same structure and aluminum impurity level. 

According to U S Patent 4 672 049 (5jj), a borosilicate molecular sieve of the beta structure can be used as the active component in a hydrocracking catalyst. The advantage offered by the use of a borosilicate component in a hydrocracking catalyst was the ability to operate the process under low pressure, specified as 100-1000 psig (broad) or 300-770 psig (preferred). 

The growth of borosilicate molecular sieve technology during the past 8 years demonstrated the unique properties of borosilicate molecular sieves. The presence of moderately acidic sites in a shape selective environment has led to a number of novel application areas for borosilicate molecular sieves. Additional applications will arise as scientists turn to these interesting materials for their unique properties. 

Standard Oil (Indiana) Aldehydes Borosilicate molecular sieve 99... 

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