KINETIC-STUDY AND MODELIZATION OF N-BUTENES OLIGOMERIZATION OVER H-MORDENITE

n-Butenes have been oligomerized at temperatures lower than 450 K in t he liquid phase over H-mordenite in a continuously stirred tank reacto r. The composition and molecular weight of the products are very depen dent on reaction temperature. Products are essentially dimers, trimers , and tetramers. The complex reactions were modeled by taking into acc ount only the type of carbonium ion; the initial rates showed that the oligomerization reactions followed a Rideal mechanism. The dimerizati on rate constants of butenes and oligomers decrease with increasing nu mber of carbon atoms of the olefins, while the adsorption constants in crease with the hydrocarbon chain length. A model for the conversion o f butenes to liquid products over H-mordenite is proposed. This model fits the experimental data rather well, although some simplifying appr oximations were made to describe these complex reactions.