Synthesis of ZSM-5/SAPO-11 composite and its application in FCC gasoline hydro-upgrading catalyst

This article describes the synthesis, characterization and application of a novel aluminosilicate/silicoaluminophosphate composite zeolite ZSM-5/SAPO-11. The composite was synthesized by the in situ overgrowth of SAPO-11 on ZSM-5 and was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared (FT-IR) spectrometry, N2 adsorption and infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed pyridine. The results were compared with those of the mechanical mixture composed of individual ZSM-5 and SAPO-11. In the mechanical mixture, the ZSM-5 phase was morphologically separate from the SAPO-11 phase, while the ZSM-5/SAPO-11 composite existed in a form of a core-shell structure, with the ZSM-5 phase as the core and the SAPO-11 phase as the shell. Compared with the mechanical mixture, the composite had more mesopores and moderate acidity distribution, which could accelerate the diffusion of substances and enhance the synergetic effect between Brönsted and Lewis acids. The comparison of the catalytic performances of the mechanical mixture and the composite-based Ni–Mo catalysts for FCC gasoline hydro-upgrading showed that, due to the above advantages of the composite, the corresponding catalyst yielded improved gasoline research octane number, high liquid yield, good desulfurization activity and lower coke amount and thus could be considered as a potential catalyst system for hydro-upgrading FCC gasoline.