High-performance HZSM-5/cordierite monolithic catalyst for methanol to propylene reaction: A combined experimental and modelling study

Abstract Methanol to propylene (MTP) reaction system over HZSM-5 zeolites is characterized by obvious consecutive side reactions to paraffin and aromatics, which practically gives rise to a low propylene yield. In this work, HZSM-5/cordierite monolithic honeycomb catalyst was prepared by washcoating method and investigated in a lab fixed-bed reactor. Compared to the traditional extrudes, the monolithic honeycomb accelerated methanol conversion rate by 2.78 and 6.66 times when methanol was fed alone and co-fed with butene, respectively, and reduced the output of paraffin and aromatics by 90% when methanol was co-fed with butene. A two-dimensional mathematic model was then developed to simulate the HZSM-5/cordierite catalyst and validated by experimental data. On the basis of a commercial configuration of MTP reactor, a six-stage adiabatic fixed-bed reactor was simulated with ethylene and C 4 –C 6 olefins recycled, the calculated space velocity and propylene selectivity for monolithic catalyst can be as high as 5.27 g MeOH /g cat /h and 81.6%, with significant enhancement achieved compared to the conventional catalyst with the results of 0.741 and 62.6%, respectively.