Catalytic Dehydration of Ethanol to Ethylene over Alkali-Treated HZSM-5 Zeolites

The catalytic performance of alkali-treated HZSM-5 catalysts was investigated in a continuous fixed-bed microreactor. The properties of the parent and modified HZSM-5 catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), N2 adsorption and temperature programmed desorption of NH3 (NH3-TPD). The results show that the alkali treatment is a suitable method to modify the HZSM-5 catalyst for ethanol dehydration to ethylene. The HZSM-5 catalyst with 0.4 mol L-1 NaOH shows high activity and good stability. The improved catalytic performances of alkali-treated catalysts are mainly attributed to the created mesopores and the decreased number of strong acid sites during the alkali treatment.