Methanol and ethanol conversion into hydrocarbons over H-ZSM-5 catalyst

Ethanol and methanol are converted using H-ZSM-5 zeolite at 623 K and 3.0 MPa into identical hydrocarbons (paraffins, olefins and aromatics) and moreover with identical selectivities. The distribution of olefins as paraffins follows the Flory distribution with a growth probability of 0.53. Regardless of the alcohol, the catalyst lifetime and selectivity into hydrocarbons C3+ are high in spite of an important coke content. The coke that poisons the Bronsted acid sites without blocking their access is composed in part of radical polyalkylaromatics. The addition of hydroquinone, an inhibitor of radicals, to the feed, provokes an immediate catalyst deactivation.