N-Hexane isomerization on Pt/HMOR: effect of platinum content

Abstract

Current specifications for gasoline impose strong restrictions on the content of aromatic compounds. Isomerization of normal paraffins to isoparaffins is considered an important petroleum reaction for the production of clean gasoline to improve its Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON). The isoparaffins are considered as an alternative to the use of oxygenated and aromatic compounds, whose maximum contents are subjected to strict regulations in order to protect the environment. In this work, catalysts supported on mordenite were obtained by competitive ion exchange using aqueous solutions of platinum complexes. Different concentrations of platinum were tested for the isomerization of n-hexane. All the catalysts obtained were shown to be selective to the formation of isomers with high-octane number, which are the products of greatest interest in the oil refining industry. The highest conversion and the best selectivity for 2,3- dmC4 di-branched component, the isomer with the highest octane number, were found with the 1.10 wt% Pt/HMOR.