Synthesis and Characterization of Al-MCM-48 and Catalytic Performance for Ethylation of Tertiary Butylbenzene

The powder form the mesoporous materials Al-MCM-48 Al, Mg-MCM- 48 was synthesized and extrudates into cylindrical form. Ethylation of tert-butylbenzene with ethanol was carried out over extrudated of Al-MCM-48 (25), Al-MCM-48 (50), Al-MCM-48 (75), Al-MCM-48 (100), Al, Mg-MCM-48 (25) Al, Mg- MCM-48 (50) at 250 to 450 C with the feed ratio of tertiary butyl benzene to ethanol, 1 4 and WHSV 5.03h-1. The products were m- ethyl tertiary butylbenzene (m-ETBB) and p- ethyl tertiary butyl benzene (p-ETBB). Bronsted acid sites chemisorbed ethanol and yielded ethyl cations which then reacted with TBB in the vapour phase to form p-ETBB and its isomerized product m-ETBB. The ortho ethylated product was not observed due to steric hindrance. Neither de-alkylation nor trans-alkylation of TBB was observed. Weak acid sites and competence of ethanol for chemisorption might be the cause for the absence of such reactions. There was no product complexity as the only direct product was p-ETBB. Only its isomerized product m-ETBB was obtained as the side product. Deactivation by coke formation was slow as the decrease in conversion was very slow during time on stream.