Optimal conditions of toluene alkylation by ethanol using pentasile zeolite as catalyst

• Published in: Applied catalysis. A, General Vol. 224; no. 1-2; pp. 161 - 166
• Main Authors: Villarreal, N.Elizondo, Kharisov, B.I., Ivanova, I.I., Romanovskii, B.V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 25-01-2002
• Subjects: Catalyst; Optimal reaction conditions; Pentasil zeolite; Toluene alkylation by ethanol; Toluene alkylation by ethanol; Pentasil zeolite; Optimal reaction conditions; Catalyst
• ISSN: 0926-860X; 1873-3875
• DOI: 10.1016/S0926-860X(01)00782-7

The products of toluene alkylation (p-ethyltoluene (p-ET) and m-ethyltoluene (m-ET)) are used for the production of methylstyrenes. The polymers formed from methylstyrene have advantages in comparison with polystyrene: lower density and higher glass transition temperature [Styrene—Its Polymers, Copolymers and Derivatives, Reinhold, New York, 1952] [1]. Moreover, the production of polymethylstyrenes enables one to use toluene as a substitute of benzene in petrochemical synthesis [From Hydrocarbons to Petrochemicals, Gulf, Houston, 1981] [2].
As a result of the syntheses of high-silica zeolites (HSZs) of the type ZSM-5, a new process of selective production of p-ET and m-ET mixture, suitable for polymerization, has been developed [New Monomers and Polymers, New York, 1983; Catal. Rev. 26 (1984) 597] [3,4]. In this paper, the optimal conditions of alkylation of toluene by ethanol using pentasil zeolites as catalysts are described.