DISPROPORTIONATION OF ETHYLBENZENE OVER ZEOLITE-BETA EFFECT OF LANTHANUM, CERIUM AND NEODYMIUM

Zeolite-beta was exchanged with La3+, Ce3+, Nd3+, and NH4+ and charact erised by XRD, IR, TGA, Al-27 and Si-29 MAS NMR and TPD of n-butylamin e and pyridine. Exchanged beta have higher Si/Al ratio than assynthesi sed beta due to dealumination during ion- exchange. Disproportionation of ethylbenzene was carried out over exchanged beta at 300, 350,400 a nd 450-degrees-C and at (WHSV)-1 of 0.077, 0.115 and 0.230 h in a fixe d-bed flow type reactor. With time on stream, ethylbenzene cracking de creased while its disproportionation remained more or less same. Incre ase in temperature and (WHSV)-1 favours cracking and suppresses dispro portionation.