(532do) Enhancement of Thermal Stability of Binder-Added Mo/HZSM-5 for Methane Dehydroaromatization and Regeneration

Due to the recent development of shale gas mining technology, global shale gas production is showing a trend of increasing, centering on the United States. Accordingly, the process of producing BTX, a high value-added compound, by utilizing methane abundant in natural gas, is drawing

Currently, most BTX are produced through the naphtha cracking process, but there are limitations such as the generation of various side products and increase in crude oil price. On the other hand, the MDA process, a method for directly synthesizing BTX using methane, which is abundant in natural gas, is being actively studied because it is more eco-friendly than the existing naphtha cracking process and it can bring about stabilization of BTX price.

In the reaction of synthesizing BTX using Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst, coke generated during the reaction blocks the external surface of the zeolite, thereby reducing accessibility to acid sites or inducing sintering of Mo₂C, an active site. These lead to rapid deactivation of the catalyst. In addition, when the catalyst regeneration process is performed at a high temperature to remove the coke, the zeolite framework is destroyed due to dealumination. To solve this problem, various binders were introduced into the Mo/HZSM-5 catalyst to improve the thermal stability of the catalyst, thereby suppressing the destruction of the zeolite framework and reduction of acid sites during regeneration.

Therefore, in this study, various types of binders were introduced into Mo/HZSM-5 to develop a catalyst that effectively inhibits the structural destruction of zeolite during catalyst regeneration. Characterization analysis to identify factors for catalyst deactivation inhibition after regeneration was carried out.