Synthesis and Performance of Mo₂C-Modified HY Zeolite Catalysts for Naphtha Reforming

Ban A. Al-Tabbakh; Aysar T. Jarullah; Ahmed N. Ahmed

doi:10.52716/jprs.v16i2.912

Authors

Ban A. Al-Tabbakh Petroleum Research and Development Center, Ministry of Oil, Baghdad, Iraq.
Aysar T. Jarullah Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Tikrit University, Salahaddin, Iraq.
Ahmed N. Ahmed Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, Tikrit University, Salahaddin, Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52716/jprs.v16i2.912

Keywords:

Catalytic Reforming, Carbide catalyst, zeolite HY.

Abstract

Mo₂C-modified HY zeolite catalysts were developed to enhance dehydrogenation and isomerization reactions in naphtha catalytic reforming. Two composite systems, Pt–Ti/HY and Mo₂C–Pt/CeY, were synthesized and characterized using XRD, BET, and FTIR.techniques. Catalytic performance was evaluated in a pilot reforming unit at temperatures of 480–520 °C, pressures of 10–15 bar, LHSV of 2 h⁻¹, and H₂/HC ratio of 4.

Results indicate that titanium incorporation improves metal–acid balance and promotes hydrogenation–dehydrogenation functionality through the formation of tetrahedrally coordinated Ti species. Among the tested catalysts, Pt–Ti/HY exhibited superior performance, achieving a research octane number of 86.2 and aromatics yield of 27.2 wt% at 520 °C and 15 bar. These findings demonstrate that metal modification of HY zeolite significantly enhances catalytic activity and selectivity in naphtha reforming.

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