| Abstract: | The alkylation of ethylbenzene with methanol on various zeolites has been studied at atmospheric pressure, 300–500 °C and with ethylbenzene/methanol = 3 mol/mol in a fixed-bed, integral-flow reactor. The catalytic activity decreased in the order HZSM-5 > HY > HM. The optimum conditions for the formation of ethyltoluene were HY zeolite, 400 °C and W/F = 4.1 g-cat h/g-feed. The catalyst decay rate increased in the order HZSM-5 << HY < HM; coking of the zeolite increased the fraction of para-isomer in the ethyltoluenes. On HZSM-5 modified with alkaline earth metal, the conversion of ethylbenzene decreased with concomitantly increased selectivity of para-ethyltoluene especially evident in cases of magnesium and calcium (> 93% para-selectivity). These results are interpreted in terms of diminution of both the strong acid sites and the pore size of zeolites. For the reaction on HY at 400 °C, the reaction paths were determined; the ethylbenzene reacted via alkylation, disproportionation and dealkylation with initial selectivities 84.7%, 13.1% and 2.2%, respectively. |
