Enhanced Stability of HZSM-5 Supported Ga2O3 Catalyst in Propane Dehydrogenation by Dealumination

Gallium oxide catalysts supported on HZSM-5 with different Si/Al ratios were characterized by pyridine adsorption FT-IR, model reactions and XPS studies. As the Si/Al ratio of the support HZSM-5 zeolite rises, the acidity of the supported catalysts decreases accordingly, which comes from two aspects: the loss of acid sites present on HZSM-5 support and the loss of the acid sites present on gallium oxides. The latter was caused by the change in the interaction between Ga₂O₃ and support. The initial activity in the propane dehydrogenation decreases with increasing Si/Al ratio while the stability increases. The enhanced stability is thought to be caused by the decrease of the acidity of the catalysts, resulting in the suppression of the side reactions, such as cracking and oligomerization.