Coking and deactivation behavior of HZSM-5 zeolite-based FCC gasoline hydro-upgrading catalyst

In order to further understand the deactivation behavior of a NiMo/HZSM-5 catalyst system used for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline hydro-upgrading, fresh and coked catalysts after operation for different times-on-stream (TOS) with FCC gasoline as a feedstock were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, as well as FTIR analysis of adsorbed pyridine. The results showed that the amount, nature, and location of coke formed in the catalysts depended upon TOS. Coke was preferentially formed on the strong acid sites, especially on the strong Lewis acid sites in the pore channels and/or on the external surface of the catalysts, resting with the size of the reactant molecules in FCC gasoline. Coke formation led to increases in the selectivities to C8, C9, and C9+ aromatics and decreases in the selectivities to benzene and toluene in the aromatics products. Using real FCC gasoline as a feedst...