Transformation of ethylbenzene-m-xylene mixture on zeolites with different structures

Hierarchical zeolite ZSM-5 synthesized by applying amphiphilic organosilane as mesopore template, nanosized zeolite Beta and zeolite MCM-22 have been studied, for the first time in the conversion of mixed ethylbenzene-m-xylene feed. The effects of the channel structure, nanosizing and presence of mesopores in these zeolite materials with close Si/Al molar ratio on the catalytic activity and selectivity have been discussed. It was found that the diverse zeolites have different advantages and disadvantages in dependence on their structure and morphology. MCM-22 zeolite provides promising ethylbenzene conversion at low xylene loss with high production of the p-isomer among xylene.