A shaped binderless ZSM-11 zeolite catalyst for direct amination of isobutene to tert-butylamine

A shaped binderless and two binder-containing ZSM-11 zeolite catalysts were prepared and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction,N-2 adsorption-desorption, and pyridine adsorption-infrared measurements. The binderless catalyst was synthesized using a dry-gel conversion technique, in which 1,6-hexanediamine and tetrabutylammonium bromide were used as structure-directing agents and no other alkaline materials were added. The catalytic performance of the zeolites in the direct amination of isobutene to tert-butylamine was evaluated in a fixed-bed reactor. By virtue of its high crystallinity as well as its good mechanical strength, the shaped binderless ZSM-11 catalyst showed a higher rate of formation of tert-butylamine than did the binder-containing catalysts. (C) 2017, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved