Methanol/dimethyl ether to light olefins over SAPO-34: Comprehensive comparison of the products distribution and catalyst performance

CATEGORY: OLEFINS 
Methanol/dimethyl ether to light olefins over SAPO-34: Comprehensive comparison of the products distribution and catalyst performance

Type	Journal Article
Author	Mohammad ghavipour
Author	Reza Mosayebi Behbahani
URL	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875510014002753
Volume	21
Pages	532-539
Publication	Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering
Date	November 2014
Abstract	Researchers compared Dimethyl Ether (DME) as a possible reactant for production of light olefins with methanol over a synthesized SAPO-34 catalyst at 400–460 °C and the products' distributions as a function of time on stream and reaction temperature. Physiochemical characteristics of the synthesized SAPO-34 catalyst were determined by BET, TPD, XRD, SEM and XRF techniques. The optimum reaction temperature range for methanol conversion to olefins (MTO) seemed to be 400–460 °C with the light olefins' selectivity of 77–78.5% and C2=/C3= molar ratios from 1.6 at 400 °C to 2.4 at 460 °C. Products' distributions in DME to olefins (DTO) reaction were different from MTO reaction specially at methane and light olefins' formation rates. Life time of the catalyst increased while using dimethyl ether as the feed but due to high rates of methanol and methane formation, the light olefins' selectivities were not as high as those of MTO reaction.