Oligomerization as an important step and side reaction for skeletal isomerization of linear butenes on H-ZSM-5 Original Research Article

The skeletal isomerization of n-butenes on a H-ZSM-5 zeolite with high Si/Al ratio was investigated by using a gradientless recirculation batch reactor. It was concluded that at the very beginning of the reaction, the formation of C8 surface species should be the first step. These species decompose into propene and pentenes, one part of the just formed and still adsorbed C3 species immediately dimerizes to hexenes. In the further course of reaction, an oligomerization to C12 surface species (trimerization) occurs followed by decomposition as shown by the products pentenes, hexenes, and heptenes. The tendency to oligomerization decreased with increasing temperature. For the reaction of lower olefins like propene and ethene, the reaction course was the same as it was observed for n-butene: a gradual increase of the degree of oligomerization with reaction time followed by immediate decomposition.