Catalysts light olefins isomerization

The isomerization of light olefins is usually carried out to convert -butenes to isobutylene [12] with the most frequently studied zeolite for this operation being PER [30]. Lyondell s IsomPlus process uses a PER catalyst to convert -butenes to isobutylene or n-pentenes to isopentene [31]. Processes such as this were in larger demand to generate isobutene before the phaseout of MTBE as a gasoline additive. Since the phaseout, these processes often perform the reverse reaction to convert isobutene to n-butenes which are then used as a metathesis feed [32]. As doublebond isomerization is much easier than skeletal isomerization, most of the catalysts below are at equilibrium ratios of the n-olefins as the skeletal isomerization begins (Table 12.5). 

Olefin isomerization has also been mediated by the photolysis of Fe(C0)s.144 Recently, a detailed study of alkene isomerization by photolysis of Fe(CO)5 has shown that the reaction is truly photocatalytic.14S The very high quantum yields ( 1.0), Table 24, and the fact that the pentenes are ultimately equilibrated to the thermodynamic ratio support the notion that the role of the light is to generate a thermally active catalyst. A mechanism similar to that in reactions (53)-(57) involving Fe(CO)3 as the repeating unit can be used to account for the results. 

Of the technological modifications, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis in the liquid phase (slurry process) may be used to produce either gasoline or light alkenes under appropriate conditions249,251 in a very efficient and economical way.267 The slurry reactor conditions appear to establish appropriate redox (reduction-oxidation) conditions throughout the catalyst sample. The favorable surface composition of the catalyst (oxide and carbide phases) suppresses secondary transformations (alkene hydrogenation, isomerization), thus ensuring selective a-olefin formation.268... 

The following examples illustrate the application of high-throughput screening tools together with heuristic search algorithms in the development of new enhanced catalyst for two fields of industrial interest, olefin epoxidation and the isomerization of light paraffins. 

The Synthol light oil (Cs-Ci ) is highly olefinic and is isomerized over an acidic catalyst to improve the octane rating of the gasoline. The hydrocarbon products from the fixed-bed reactors arc distilled to separate the gasoline and diesel oil. The residue is vacuum-disiilled to produce medium wax (320 500 C) and hard wax (>500 C). Both products arc hydrofined using nickel catalysts to remove olefins and oxygenates. 

Diffiisional restrictions increase the effectiveness of olefin interception sites placed within catalyst pellets. Very high olefin hydrogenation turnover rates or site densities within pellets prevent olefin readsorption and lead to Flory distributions of lighter and more paraffinic hydrocarbons. Identical results can be obtained by introducing a double-bond isomerization function into FT catalyst pellets because internal olefins, like paraffins, are much less reactive than a-olefins in chain initiation reactions. However, light paraffins and internal olefins are not particularly useful end-products in many applications of FT synthesis. Yet, similar concepts can be used to intercept reactive olefins and convert them into more useful products (e.g., alcohols) and to shift the carbon number distribution into a more useful range. In the next section, olefin readsorption model simulations are used to explore these options in the control of FT synthesis selectivity. 

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