IMPROVING THE N-PENTANE HYDROISOMERIZATION OF PT SO42- (SIO2) CATALYSTS THROUGH MIXING WITH ZRO2/

The performance of Pt catalysts supported on sulfated zirconia-silica with different stoichiometries is investigated in the n-pentane hydroi somerization reaction. Comparatively, with respect to the Pt/SO42--SiO 2 or Pt/SO42--ZrO2 catalysts, the sulfated mixed oxides show an enhanc ement of the catalytic activity that increases with the content of ZrO 2, reaching its maximum at values between 10 and 15 wt% zirconia. The characterization of the samples reveals that at this stoichiometry occ urs the highest H-2-consumption of the samples as well as the top valu e of strong Bronsted acid sites according to the TPD-H-2 and FTIR meas urements of absorbed pyridine respectively. That is, close to these pe rcents of zirconia content one has a compound that is homogeneously mi xed and above those values the segregations of the single oxides occur as verified by X-ray diffraction characterization.