Synthetic mordenite, catalytic properties

Catalytic Properties of Synthetic Mordenite in Isomerization, Hydrogenation, and Hydroisomerization of Hydrocarbons... 

The catalytic properties of H-, Li-, Na-, K-, Mg-, Ca-, Zn-, Cd-, and Al-forms of synthetic mordenite in the reactions of cyclohexane and n-pentane isomerization and benzene hydrogenation have been studied. The cation forms of mordenite that do not involve the metals of column VIII of the Mendeleyev Table show high activity in these reactions. To elucidate the mechanism of n-pentane isomerization, the kinetics of the reaction on H-mordenite have been studied. Carbonium ion is supposed to result from splitting off hydride ion from hydrocarbon molecule. Na-mordenite catalytic activity in benzene hydrogenation reaction decreases linearly with the increase of decationization. This indicates that cations are responsible for the catalytic activity of zeolite. The high activity of cations of nontransition metals in oxidation-reduction reactions seems to be quite unexpected and may provide evidence for some uncommon mechanism of benzene hydrogenation. 

The information about synthetic mordenite properties was obtained in 1961 when Keough and Sand (7) found that H- and other forms of this crystalline aluminum silicate display high activity and selectivity in the reactions of hydrocarbon cracking and ethanol dehydration. Later this zeolite was shown (J, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10-13, 15, 16) an active catalyst in the reactions of isomerization, cracking, and alkylation of hydrocarbons and alcohol dehydration. However, the catalytic properties of mordenite have been studied insufEciently, compared with those of other zeolites. 

The present paper reports the results of investigating the catalytic properties of a number of cation forms of synthetic mordenite in the reactions of isomerization, hydrogenation, and hydroisomerization of hydrocarbons. 

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