OSCILLATORY CHARACTER OF DEACTIVATION OF ZEOLITE CATALYSTS IN CARBONIUM ION CONVERSIONS OF HYDROCARBONS

We have observed damped oscillations of increasing frequency in alkylation of benzene by 1-decene, which we interpret based on surface competition between the benzene and the coke being formed according to a mechanism of alternating inversions of the adsorption layer. We propose a scheme for the inversions in terms of chemical potentials of the adsorbed components. The change in the character of the oscillations is connected with a qualitative change in the coke over time.