Effect of crystal size and surface modification of ZSM-5 zeolites on conversion of ethanol to propylene

The conversion of ethanol to propylene was carried out over ZSM-5 zeolites (Si/Al ratio ≈ 20) with a small crystal size of ca. 30 nm. Catalyst deactivation was significantly suppressed over the nanometer-sized ZSM-5 zeolite, indicating that the small crystal was more tolerant to coking. On the other hand, the selectivity of this zeolite to propylene was lower than that of conventional ZSM-5 zeolites (ca. 2 μm). It was suggested that the large external surface area of the nanometer-sized ZSM-5 zeolite catalyzed undesired reactions. To elucidate the reason for the decreased selectivity, the external surfaces of the nanometer-sized crystals were covered with a very thin pure-silica ZSM-5 layer by a hydrothermal synthesis. The obtained crystal maintained the same crystal size and had a silica-rich surface (Si/Al ratio ≈ 50). After the surface modification, the selectivity to propylene was improved without any decrease in the catalyst life.