Forming a diene includes contacting a reactant including at least one of a cyclic ether and a diol with a heterogeneous acid catalyst to yield a reaction mixture including a diene. The heterogeneous acid catalyst includes at least one of a Lewis acid catalyst, a supported Lewis-acid catalyst, a Brnsted acid catalyst, a solid acid catalyst, a supported phosphoric acid catalyst, and a sulfonated catalyst. The dehydration of cyclic ethers and diols with high selectivity to yield dienes completes pathways for the production of dienes, such as isoprene and butadiene, from biomass in high yields, thereby promoting economical production of dienes from renewable resources.

Provided is a method for preparing a lower unsaturated fatty acid ester, which comprises carrying out an aldol condensation reaction between dimethoxymethane (DMM) and a lower acid or ester with a molecular formula of R.sub.1CH.sub.2COOR.sub.2 on an acidic molecular sieve catalyst in an inert atmosphere to obtain a lower unsaturated fatty acid or ester(CH.sub.2C(R.sub.1)COOR.sub.2), wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are groups each independently selected from the group consisting of H and C.sub.1-C.sub.4 saturated alkyl group.

A method for hydrocracking a hydrocarbon feedstock, the method comprising: contacting the hydrocarbon feedstock with a catalyst containing a nano-sized mesoporous zeolite composition under reaction conditions to produce a product stream containing at least 20 weight percent of hydrocarbons with 1-4 carbon atoms, wherein the nano-sized mesoporous zeolite composition is produced by a method that includes: mixing silica, a source of aluminum, and tetraethylammonium hydroxide to form an aluminosilicate fluid gel; drying the aluminosilicate fluid gel to form a dried gel mixture; subjecting the dried gel mixture to hydrothermal treatment to produce a zeolite precursor; adding cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) to the zeolite precursor to form a templated mixture; subjecting the templated mixture to hydrothermal treatment to prepare a CTAB-templated zeolite; washing the CTAB-templated zeolite with distilled water; separating the CTAB-templated zeolite by centrifugation; and drying and calcining the CTAB-templated zeolites to produce a nano-sized mesoporous zeolite composition.

A method of making a multifunctional catalyst for upgrading pyrolysis oil includes contacting a hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support with a solution including at least a first metal catalyst precursor and a second metal catalyst precursor, each or both of which may include a heteropolyacid. The hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support may have an average pore size of from 2 nm to 40 nm. Contacting the hierarchical mesoporous 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 hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support to produce a multifunctional catalyst precursor. The method further includes removing excess solution 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 hierarchical mesoporous zeolite support.

The invention relates to methods for hydrocracking or hydrotreating hydrocarbon containing feedstocks. This is accomplished via the use of a catalyst which comprises a zeolite of *BEA framework, where a portion of aluminum atoms in the *BEA framework have been substituted by from 0.1-5.0 wt % of each of Ti and Zr, calculated on an oxide basis.

Disclosed is a process for producing mixed xylenes and C.sub.9+ hydrocarbons in which an aromatic hydrocarbon feedstock comprising benzene and/or toluene is contacted with an alkylating agent comprising methanol and/or dimethyl ether under alkylation conditions in the presence of an alkylation catalyst to produce an alkylated aromatic product stream comprising the mixed xylenes and C.sub.9+ hydrocarbons. The mixed xylenes are subsequently converted to para-xylene, and the C.sub.9+ hydrocarbons and its components may be supplied as motor fuels blending components. The alkylation catalyst comprises a molecular sieve having a Constraint Index in the range from greater than zero up to about 3. The molar ratio of aromatic hydrocarbon to alkylating agent is in the range of greater than 1:1 to less than 4:1.

A catalyst composition for converting an alcohol to olefins, the catalyst composition comprising the following components: (a) beta zeolite; (b) at least one element selected from the group consisting of zinc, magnesium, calcium, strontium, sodium, and potassium; and (c) at least one element selected from the group consisting of hafnium, yttrium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, and tin; wherein the components (b) and (c) are independently within or on a surface of said beta zeolite. The catalyst may also further include component (d), which is copper or silver. Also described herein is a method for converting an alcohol to one or more olefinic compounds, the method comprising contacting the alcohol with a catalyst at a temperature of at least 100 C. and up to 500 C. to result in the alcohol being converted to the one or more olefinic compounds.

A process of producing a catalyst comprises forming mesoporous beta zeolite particles, impregnating mesoporous beta zeolite particles with a metal and phosphorus to produce a metal and phosphorus impregnated zeolite, and incorporating the metal and phosphorus impregnated zeolite with clay and alumina to produce the catalyst. The forming step comprises converting a crystalline beta zeolite to a non-crystalline material with reduced silica content relative to the crystalline beta zeolite, and crystalizing the non-crystalline material to produce mesoporous beta zeolite particles.

A process for producing ethylbenzene is described in which benzene and ethylene are supplied to an alkylation reaction zone. Also added to the alkylation reaction zone is a C.sub.3+ olefin in an amount of at least 200 ppm by weight of the ethylene supplied to the alkylation reaction zone. The benzene, ethylene and C.sub.3+ olefin are contacted with an alkylation catalyst in the alkylation reaction zone to alkylate at least part of the benzene and produce an alkylation effluent comprising ethylbenzene, polyethylated benzene and at least one mono-C.sub.3+ alkyl benzene. The alkylation effluent is separated into a first product fraction comprising ethylbenzene and a second fraction comprising polyethylated benzene and the at least one mono-C.sub.3+ alkyl benzene. The second fraction is then contacted with benzene in the presence of a transalkylation catalyst to convert at least part of the polyethylated benzene to ethylbenzene and produce a transalkylation effluent.

According to one or more embodiments, a nano-sized, mesoporous zeolite particle may include a microporous framework comprising a plurality of micropores having diameters of less than or equal to 2 nm and a BEA framework type. The nano-sized, mesoporous zeolite particle may also include a plurality of mesopores having diameters of greater than 2 nm and less than or equal to 50 nm. The zeolite particles may be integrated into hydrocracking catalysts and utilized for the cracking of heavy oils in a pretreatment process.