“AVALIAÇÃO DO EMPREGO DE ÓXIDO DE FERRO SULFATADO NA REAÇÃO DE DESPROPORCIONAMENTO DO TOLUENO”

L. S. COSTA, H. S. FERREIRA, A. S. OLIVEIRA, S. T. F. GRECCO, P. REYES, S. G. MARCHETTI E M. DO CARMO RANGEL

Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Simposio; “XX Simposio Iberoamericano de Catálisis”; 2006

Metal transition oxides have found several applications in petroleum and petrochemical industry. The redox properties of these solids make them promising catalysts in several commercially important reactions. Among them, sulfated iron oxides are especially interesting since they show acidic properties and then behave as superacid solids, being catalytically active in many reactions such as alkane isomerization and Friedel-Crafts acylation. In order to evaluate the catalytic properties of iron oxides in the toluene disproportionation sulfated iron oxides were studied in this work. The catalysts were characterized by several techniques and evaluated in toluene disproportionation at 470 ºC. It was found different phases of iron oxides, depending on the preparation method. The sulfate species increased the specific surface areas and the acidity, regardless the phases produced. The magnetite precursor was found to be the most convenient starting material to produce acidic solids with high specific surface area. Both hematite and magnetite, and also the sulfated solids, were active in the disproportionation of toluene and selective to benzene.