The Catalyst Review June 2017 - 6

PROCESS NEWS
A Hyperstable Zeolite Catalyst for Methanol-to-Olefin Conversion...
The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO, Kawasaki City; Japan), in partnership with Japan
Technological Research Association of Artificial Photosynthetic Chemical Process (ARPChem) members, Mitsubishi Chemical Corp.
and the Tokyo Institute of Technology, has developed a hyperstable zeolite catalyst that provides high-yield productivity for lower
olefins (C2-C4) from methanol. Using methanol synthesized from CO2, the researchers demonstrated the methanol-to-olefin (MTO)
process using a compact, fixed-bed pilot facility installed at Mitsubishi Chemical. With the new MTO process, the researchers were
also able to prevent a reduction in catalytic activity, even after steam processing at temperatures higher than 500°C. In the new
zeolite catalyst, acid sites attributable to tetra-coordinated aluminum within the zeolite framework are catalytically active for the
MTO reaction. It was confirmed that these active sites are stable and maintain catalytic activity, even after high-temperature steam
treatment. The new catalyst was shown to have a lifetime of 1,500 h at 500°C, which is nearly twice that of existing MTO catalyst
systems, and it can endure de-coking treatment, NEDO says. Researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology confirmed that the
catalyst life can be prolonged by introducing aluminum atoms into specific sites, and that metal doping enhances the selectivity of
the MTO reaction. They observed a 83% yield for C2-C4 olefins at a reaction temperature of 550°C. Source: Chemical Engineering,
6/2017, p.9.

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The Catalyst Review

June 2017

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The Catalyst Review June 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Catalyst Review June 2017