Bifunctional catalyst comprising evenly distributed phosphorous

1. A bifunctional catalyst having a center, a core, an outer surface, and a shell, the core surrounding the center and having a diameter of about 300 μm, the shell having a width of about 300 μm, the catalyst comprising a ZSM-5 zeolite, an alumina binder, Zn and P with a zeolite phase and a binder phase, wherein the P is present and is evenly distributed throughout the catalyst, such that the concentration of the P at the center of the catalyst is substantially the same as the concentration of the P at the core of the catalyst, the P has a concentration of 0.1-3 wt % at the core of the catalyst, and the Zn has a concentration above 3 wt % at the core of the catalyst, and wherein the total Zn content in the catalyst is 3-25 wt %, the alumina binder is an alumina binder or an alumina-based binder comprising mixtures of aluminum oxide and aluminum hydroxide and/or silica alumina, and wherein a P/Zn atomic ratio in the catalyst is at least 0.2.

2. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the P concentration at the catalyst shell is between 0.1 wt %-10 wt %.

3. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein Zn is present as ZnAl 2 O 4 .

4. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is an extruded or pelletized catalyst.

5. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , comprising 30-80 wt % ZSM-5, 3-40 wt % ZnAl 2 O 4 , 0.2-40% AlPO 4 , up to 40 wt % Al 2 O 3 , 0-10 wt % ZnO.

6. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein Zn is present in both zeolite and alumina binder phases.

7. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of P/Zn is 0.2-5.

8. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of P/Zn is substantially the same at the catalyst shell and the catalyst core.

9. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the alumina binder further comprises silica.

10. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst, by X-ray diffraction, does not contain free ZnO in the binder.

11. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the Zn concentration is 5-25 wt % in the catalyst.

12. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises ZnAl 2 O 4 .

13. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 12 , wherein the molar amount of Zn present in the binder as ZnAl 2 O 4 constitutes at least 50% of the total amount of Zn present in the binder.

14. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 12 , wherein the molar amount of Zn present in the binder as ZnAl 2 O 4 constitutes at least 96% of the total amount of Zn present in the binder.

15. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises ZnO, and the molar amount of Zn present in the binder as ZnO corresponds to up to 10% ZnO relative to the total amount of Zn present in the binder.

16. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the zeolite comprises Zn, and the Zn in the zeolite is present as ZnO, Zn(OH)+ and/or Zn++ in ion exchange positions.

17. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , with a total Zn content in the catalyst of 8-15 wt %.

18. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises zinc, and the zinc and alumina in the binder of said catalyst are partly or fully spinelized.

19. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 18 , wherein the Zn and alumina content in the binder is substantially the same in its partly spinelized and fully spinelized form.

20. Bifunctional catalyst according to claim 19 , wherein a fully spinelized form of Zn and alumina in the binder is obtained by heating a partly spinelized form at 300-550° C. in an atmosphere comprising steam.

21. A methanol conversion process using the bifunctional catalyst of claim 1 , comprising:

a conversion step wherein a feed stream comprising oxygenates is converted into a hydrocarbon stream rich in aromatics in presence of said bifunctional catalyst, and

a separation step wherein the hydrocarbon stream rich in aromatics is separated into at least an aromatics rich product stream, a stream comprising water and a recycle stream.

22. A process according to claim 21 , where the catalyst used in the process has a selectivity to aromatics of 30-80%, as determined at 420° C., 20 bar, 10 mol % methanol and a WHSV of 1.6.

23. A process according to claim 21 , where the catalyst used in the process has a selectivity to CO, of 0-10% as determined at 420° C., 20 bar, 10 mol % methanol and a WHSV of 1.6.