CATALYTIC CRACKING OF HEXADECANE OVER ZSM-5 MODIFIED WITH SICL4, BCL3, NH4F AND LACL3-ALPHA

In this investigation ZSM-5 has been modified with SiCl4, BCl3, NH4F and LaCl3. Modified ZSM-5 were characterized using infrared (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and temperature-programmed decomposition (TPD) techniques and model reaction. Experimental results show that the physico-chemical properties and cracking performance of modified ZSM-5 are connected to the methods used for modification. Of the four modification methods used the one with LaCl3 seems to be the most favourable owing to the high cracking activity of LaCl3-modified ZSM-5 and its high gasoline yield in the cracking of hexadecane. On the basis of the experimental results it is proposed that the La(III) ion is probably exchanged into the ZSM-5 during the modification with LaCl3 solution.