Synthesis of SAPO-34/ZSM-5 Composite and Its Catalytic Performance in the Conversion of Methanol to Hydrocarbons

SAPO-34/ZSM-5 composite was synthesized with nano-sized ZSM-5 zeolite as seeds and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen sorption, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia (NH3-TPD); its catalytic performance in the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons (MTH) was investigated. The results indicated that the as-synthesized SAPO-34/ZSM-5 composite takes the form of sphere-like particles with a diameter ranging from 2.3 to 4.8 µm, through the accumulation of tiny ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 crystals; a large quantity of mesopores was formed in the interspaces between the ZSM-5 and SAPO-34 crystals. Owing to its proper acidity and porosity, the SAPO-34/ZSM-5 composite exhibits higher stability in MTH and favors the formation of aromatics and alkanes, compared with the parent SAPO-34 and ZSM-5 zeolites and their mechanical mixture.