PARAFFIN DISPROPORTIONATION WITH ZEOLITE Y
Methods relate to disproportionation of hydrocarbons utilizing a zeolite catalyst. The methods include reacting pentanes in contact with ultrastable zeolite Y having a silica to alumina ratio of less than 80 to disproportionate the pentanes into butanes and hexanes. The ultrastable zeolite Y is defined by having a sodium oxide content of less than 1% by weight.
1 . A method, comprising:
reacting pentanes in contact with ultrastable zeolite Y having a silica to alumina ratio of less than 80 to disproportionate the pentanes into butanes and hexanes, wherein the ultrastable zeolite Y is defined by having a sodium oxide content of less than 1% by weight.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrastable zeolite Y is in proton form containing hydrogen counter ions.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrastable zeolite Y has a silica to alumina ratio of less than 10.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrastable zeolite Y has a silica to alumina ratio of 5.2.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrastable zeolite Y is rare earth element exchanged.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ultrastable zeolite Y is lanthanum exchanged.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reacting is at a temperature between 100° C. and 400° C. and at a pressure between 1,500 kilopascals and 4,250 kilopascals.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reacting is at 250° C. and at 2859 kilopascals.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reacting has a selectivity that is defined as mass of the butanes and the hexanes divided by total non-pentane product mass and is at least 89%.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reacting converts at least 20% of the pentanes.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a mol ratio of the butanes to the hexanes produced by the reacting is less than 1.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein over 90% of the butanes produced by the reacting are isobutane.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reacting converts at least 20% of the pentanes, a mol ratio of the butanes to the hexanes produced by the reacting is less than 1 and over 90% of the butanes produced by the reacting are isobutanes.
14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising regenerating the ultrastable zeolite Y by burning off coke deposits.