Methods for modifying a ZSM-5 zeolite by contacting the zeolite with an alkaline solution prior to combining with a binder material to produce a modified ZSM-5 catalyst extrudate that has substantially longer catalyst life, relative to an untreated ZSM-5 catalyst, for converting light olefins to products that may be used as a liquid transportation fuel blend stock. The alkaline solution is optionally sodium hydroxide. The binder is optionally alumina, bentonite or silica.

The invention is broadly drawn to a process to introduce mesoporosity in faujasite zeolites with Si/Al<5 and unit cell sizes below 24.58 Angstrom by an inventive sequence of acid and base treatments, yielding superior physico-chemical and catalytic properties compared to the materials prepared according to the teachings known in the state of the art. Part of the invention relates to the acid step which is executed in the presence of a salt of which the anion is able to form multi-ligand complexes with aluminum, and of which a specific amount of cations are protonic (ca. 90% to 20% of the total cations with −3<pK<6). The superior properties may be the combination of an enhanced mesoporosity with a higher Brønsted acidity, a higher microporosity, a higher mesoporosity, a higher crystallinity, and/or combinations hereof.

The present disclosure discloses a method for preparing caprolactam including: (1) contacting cyclohexanone oxime with a catalyst to carry out reaction in the presence of ethanol and under the condition of gas phase Beckmann rearrangement reaction of cyclohexanone oxime; (2) separating the reaction product obtained in step (1) to produce an ethanol solution of crude caprolactam, and then separating the ethanol solution of crude caprolactam to obtain ethanol and crude caprolactam; (3) removing impurities with boiling points lower than that of caprolactam in the crude caprolactam to obtain a light component removal product; (4) mixing the light component removal product with a crystallization solvent to carry out crystallization and solid-liquid separation to obtain a crystalline crystal; (5) subjecting the crystalline crystal to a hydrogenation reaction; wherein the crystallization solvent contains 0.1-2 wt % of ethanol.

A method of making a xylene isomerization catalyst comprises the steps of (i) contacting a ZSM-5 zeolite starting material having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 20 to 50 and having a mesopore surface area in the range of 50 m.sup.2/gram to 200 m.sup.2/gram in a reactor with a base to provide an intermediate zeolite material; (ii) recovering the intermediate ZSM-5 zeolite material of step (i); (iii) contacting the intermediate zeolite material with an acid to provide an acid treated ZSM-5 zeolite product; (iv) recovering the acid treated ZSM-5 zeolite material; and (v) calcining the acid treated ZSM-5 zeolite material to provide a desilicated ZSM-5 zeolite product having a silica to alumina molar ratio of 20 to 150 and having a mesopore surface area in the range of 100 m.sup.2/gram to 400 m.sup.2/gram.

A method of making a multifunctional catalyst for upgrading pyrolysis oil includes contacting a zeolite support with a solution including at least a first metal catalyst precursor and a second metal catalyst precursor, the first metal catalyst precursor, the second metal catalyst precursor, or both, including a heteropolyacid. Contacting the zeolite support with the solution deposits or adsorbs the first metal catalyst precursor and the second catalyst precursor onto outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the zeolite support to produce a multifunctional catalyst precursor. The method further includes removing excess solution from the multifunctional catalyst precursor and calcining the multifunctional catalyst precursor to produce the multifunctional catalyst comprising at least a first metal catalyst and a second metal catalyst deposited on the outer surfaces and pore surfaces of the zeolite support.

Supported catalysts, methods of making and using are described herein. A supported catalyst can include a metal nanostructure, an oxide, or an alloy thereof, having a Lewis acid active site capable of catalyzing the formation of an alkyl aromatic compound from an aromatic hydrocarbon and an olefin, and an inert hollow zeolite support. The inert hollow zeolite support has a peripheral shell with an exterior surface and an interior surface that defines and encloses a hollow space within the interior of the shell, where the metal nanostructure, or an oxide or an alloy thereof is comprised in the hollow space.

A method of producing a hierarchical zeolite composite catalyst. The method including dissolving, in an alkaline solution and in the presence of a surfactant, a catalyst precursor comprising mesoporous zeolite to yield a dissolved zeolite solution, where the mesoporous zeolite comprises large pore mordenite and medium pore ZSM-5. The method also including condensing the dissolved zeolite solution to yield a solid zeolite composite from the dissolved zeolite solution and heating the solid zeolite composite to remove the surfactant. The method further including impregnating the solid zeolite composite with one or more active metals selected from the group consisting of molybdenum, platinum, rhenium, nickel, and combinations thereof to yield impregnated solid zeolite composite and calcining the impregnated solid zeolite composite to produce the hierarchical zeolite composite catalyst. The hierarchical zeolite composite catalyst has a mesostructure comprising at least one disordered mesophase and at least one ordered mesophase.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a metal-substituted beta zeolite that exhibits a more excellent catalytic performance than conventional one, and a method for producing the same. The present invention provides a metal-substituted beta zeolite by subjecting an alkali metal-form beta zeolite produced without using an organic structure-directing agent to ion exchange with ammonium ion and then, using a filter cake procedure, to ion exchange with copper ion or iron(II) ion. The present invention also provides a metal-substituted beta zeolite which has been ion exchanged with copper ion or iron(II) ion and in which the amount of Lewis acid sites is greater than the amount of Bronsted acid sites when the amount of Bronsted acid sites and the amount of Lewis acid sites are measured by ammonia infrared-mass spectroscopy temperature-programmed desorption on the as-produced state.

A modified Y-type molecular sieve has a rare earth content of about 4-11% by weight on the basis of rare earth oxide, a sodium content of no more than about 0.7% by weight on the basis of sodium oxide, a zinc content of about 0.5-5% by weight on the basis of zinc oxide, a phosphorus content of about 0.05-10% by weight on the basis of phosphorus pentoxide, a framework silica-alumina ratio of about 7-14 calculated on the basis of SiO.sub.2/Al.sub.2O.sub.3 molar ratio, a percentage of non-framework aluminum content to the total aluminum content of no more than about 20%, and a percentage of the pore volume of secondary pores having a pore size of 2-100 nm to the total pore volume of about 15-30%. The modified Y-type molecular sieve has a high crystallinity, a structure comprising secondary pores, and a high thermal and hydrothermal stability.

A process of performing controlled alkaline treatments on inorganic porous solids, yielding superior physico-chemical and catalytic properties, whereby the particle and crystal size is not negatively influenced. The solids obtained from this process can be easily recovered from the alkaline solution.