The application of INS to investigate the toluene disproportionation reaction of modified ZSM-5 catalysts - TOSCA

A soon-to-finish Ph.D. project used neutron scattering techniques to investigate a series of modified ZSM-5 catalysts to support the isomerisation of meta-xylene to produce para-xylene. A new Masters by Research project will commence in Easter 2025 to extend these studies to investigate the same catalyst suite for their applicability to the toluene disproportionation reaction, a valuable step within petrochemical refining operations. Vibrational inspection of adsorbate modes by infrared spectroscopy is hindered due to the zeolite’s strong absorption below 2000 cm-1. However, INS provides the means to access the vibrational spectrum in the range 20-4000 cm-1, enabling speciation of retained hydrocarbons. This information is critical to the development of reaction mechanisms over these high specification industrial grade catalysts. This TOSCA application is linked to an associated MAPS proposal.