ZSM-5 additive activity enhancement by improved zeolite and phosphorus interaction

1. A process for producing a first attrition resistant catalyst, the process comprising:

i) mixing a first ZSM-5 zeolite with a first aqueous phosphorus-containing solution so as to form a phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite having from 2 wt. % to 6 wt. % P 2 O 5 incorporated therein;

ii) spray-drying the phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite to form a spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite;

iii) calcining the spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite at a first temperature below 650° C. to form a calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite;

iv) mixing a first aqueous slurry of the calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite with a second aqueous slurry comprising alumina and kaolin to form a slurry mixture, wherein the first aqueous slurry has a first solids content of 30-45 wt. %, the first aqueous slurry having been milled until at least 90% of particles of the first aqueous slurry are less than 3 microns;

v) spray-drying the slurry mixture with a second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution into microspheres having a size of from about 20 to 200 microns, wherein the second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution is added to the slurry mixture prior to entering a spray dryer such that a contact time of the second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution and the slurry mixture is less than 20 seconds;

vi) calcining the microspheres at a second temperature from 150° C. to 815° C., wherein the microspheres contain about 10-25 wt. % P 2 O 5 ; and

vii) combining between about 0.1 wt % and 30 wt % of the microspheres, based on total weight of the first attrition resistant catalyst, with a FCC base catalyst to form the first attrition resistant catalyst, wherein the FCC base catalyst comprises pore openings of greater than about 7 angstroms, wherein a first propylene yield, at 75% conversion, of the first attrition resistant catalyst prepared according to i) through vii) is greater than a second propylene yield of a second attrition resistant catalyst prepared according to iv) through vii) with iv) referring to a second ZSM-5 zeolite that was not subjected to i) through iii).

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the iii) calcining of the spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite is at the first temperature from 350° C. to 650° C. in presence of 15-25% steam to form the calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite, and wherein the second temperature is from 150° C. to 680° C.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the microspheres contain at least 25 wt. % of the first ZSM-5 zeolite.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the i) mixing of the first ZSM-5 zeolite with the first aqueous phosphorus-containing solution is to incorporate from 4 wt. % to 6 wt. % P 2 O 5 therein, and wherein the microspheres contain 10-15 wt. % P 2 O 5 .

5. The process of claim 2 , wherein the slurry mixture is further formed by adding, a high density component to the first aqueous slurry, the high density component having a density greater than 2.8 g/cc.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the high density component has a first BET surface area of less than 50 m 2 /g.

7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the slurry mixture is further formed by adding a reactive alumina species to the first aqueous slurry, the reactive alumina species having a second BET surface area of greater than 50 m 2 /g.

8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the second BET surface area is from about 140 to 400 m 2 /g.

9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the reactive alumina species is a transitional alumina.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first aqueous phosphorus-containing solution or the second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution is phosphoric acid or ammonium phosphate.

11. The process of claim 7 , wherein each of the microspheres has a composition comprising 25 to 50 wt. % ZSM-5, 10 to 15 wt. % P 2 O 5 , 12 to 25 wt. % alumina, and 20 to 35 wt. % kaolin.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first ZSM-5 zeolite is an organic-templated ZSM-5 zeolite.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first ZSM-5 zeolite has a SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 molar ratio from 25 to 28.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the slurry mixture is further formed by adding a mixture of aluminas comprising alpha alumina and dispersed boehmite to the first aqueous slurry.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second aqueous slurry has a second solids content of 60-75 wt. %.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the first attrition resistant catalyst comprises 5 to 23.5 wt. % of the microspheres and up to 10 wt. % inert kaolin microspheres.

17. A process for producing a first attrition resistant catalyst additive in form of first microspheres having a size of from about 20 to 200 microns, wherein the first microspheres contain at least 25 wt. % of a first ZSM-5 zeolite and from 10 to 15 wt. % P 2 O 5 , the process comprising:

i) mixing the first ZSM-5 zeolite with a first aqueous phosphorus-containing solution to form a phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite having from 4 wt. % to 6 wt. % P 2 O 5 incorporated therein;

ii) spray-drying the phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite to form a spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite;

iii) calcining the spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite at a first temperature below 650° C. to form a calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite;

iv) combining a first aqueous slurry of the calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite, a second aqueous slurry of kaolin, a high density component of greater than 2.8 g/cc, and a reactive alumina species having a BET surface area of greater than 50 m 2 /g to form a slurry mixture, wherein the first aqueous slurry has a first solids content of 30-45 wt. %, the first aqueous slurry having been milled until at least 90% of particles of the first aqueous slurry are less than 3 microns;

v) spray-drying the slurry mixture with a second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution to form a spray-dried mixture, wherein the second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution is added to the slurry mixture prior to entering a spray dryer such that a contact time of the second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution and the slurry mixture is less than 20 seconds; and

vi) calcining the spray-dried mixture at a second temperature from 150° C. to 680° C.,

wherein a greater propylene yield is exhibited by a first attrition resistant catalyst comprising the first microspheres prepared according to i) through vi) as compared to a propylene yield exhibited by a second attrition resistant catalyst comprising second microspheres prepared according to iv) through vi) with iv) referring to a second ZSM-5 zeolite that was not subjected to i) through iii), the first attrition resistant catalyst being a combination of between about 0.1 wt % and 30 wt % of the first microspheres and a FCC base catalyst having pore opening of greater than about 7 angstroms, wherein the wt % is based on total weight of the first attrition resistant catalyst.

18. A process for producing a first attrition resistant catalyst additive in form of first microspheres having a size of from about 20 to 200 microns, the process comprising:

i) treating an organic-templated ZSM-5 zeolite with a first aqueous phosphorus-containing solution to form a phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite having from 2 wt. % to 6 wt. % P 2 O 5 incorporated therein;

ii) spray-drying the phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite to form a spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite;

iii) calcining the spray-dried, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite at a first temperature below 650° C. to form a calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite;

iv) mixing a first aqueous slurry of the calcined, phosphorus-treated ZSM-5 zeolite, a second aqueous slurry of kaolin, and alumina to form a mixture, wherein the first aqueous slurry has a first solids content of 30-45 wt. %, the first aqueous slurry having been milled until at least 90% of particles of the first aqueous slurry are less than 3 microns;

v) spray-drying the mixture into the first microspheres, wherein a second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution is added to the mixture prior to entering a spray dryer such that a contact time of the second aqueous phosphorus-containing solution and the mixture is less than 20 seconds; and

vi) calcining the first microspheres at a temperature from 150° C. to 815° C., wherein the first microspheres contain about 10-25 wt. % P 2 O 5 , wherein a greater propylene yield is exhibited by a first attrition resistant catalyst comprising the first microspheres prepared according to i) through vi) as compared to a propylene yield exhibited by a second attrition resistant catalyst comprising second microspheres prepared according to iv) through vi) with iv) referring to a second ZSM-5 zeolite that was not subjected to i) through iii), the first attrition resistant catalyst being a combination of between about 0.1 wt % and 30 wt % of the first microspheres and a FCC base catalyst having pore opening of greater than about 7 angstroms, wherein the wt % is based on total weight of the first attrition resistant catalyst.