Ethylbenzene isomerization on bifunctional platinum/alumina product yields and pseudo mass action kinetics

Abstract

Ethylbenzene isomerization on bifunctional Pt/Al 2O 3 catalyst was investigated in the gas phase using a micro-catalytic reactor. Product yields were determined as functions of temperature for ethylbenzene, o-, m-, and p-xylene in the temperature range 513 – 673 K and 181.8 kPa. At temperatures ≦ 553 K, p-xylene was the sole product of the isomerization reaction. o-Xylene became significant from 563 K and went through a maximum at 539 K where p-xylene went through a maximum: m-xylene was produced at the higher temperatures. The Wei-Prater method was used in the calculation of absolute rate constants for the twelve single reactions of the network. Estimated activation energies appear to account for the high yield of ortho from meta-xylene.