Optimization of the product spectrum for 1-pentene cracking on ZSM-5 using single-event methodology. Part 1: Two-zone reactor

The single-event kinetic modeling approach is used for optimization of the product distribution of 1-pentene cracking on ZSM-5. Results at different reaction conditions show that high yields of propene are only obtained in combination with high yields of ethene. Thus, scope of this work is to maximize the ratio of propene to ethene in the product spectrum. The reaction temperature is identified as a suitable parameter for this purpose and implementation of a two-zone reactor is proposed. Optimal temperatures in the two-zone reactor are revealed by solving the kinetic model at all suitable combinations of temperature in the two zones. The obtained values are given both within and beyond the experimentally covered range of reaction conditions to exclude effects of extrapolating the kinetic model in the temperature range. The two-zone reactor is compared to one-zone reactors at the corresponding temperatures to quantify the effects of optimization.