The conversion of methanol or synthesis gas is an attractive route for producing ethylene and propylene from coal. Utilizing a chabazite ion exchanged with ammonium and rare earth chlorides, methanol is converted to ethylene, propylene, and propane with carbon yields of 70 to 90% at reaction temperatures of 360 to 450/sup 0/C and pressures from 1 to 18 atmospheres. Carbon disulfide in the feed at concentrations less than 2000 ppm increases the operating time between regenerations from four hours to twenty hours. At carbon disulfide concentrations of 3000 ppm or greater, the catalyst goes through three stages. The first is that of a dehydrogenation catalyst that produces carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The second stage produces ethylene and propylene, and finally, the third stage is a dehydration catalyst that produces dimethyl ether. Water has no detrimental effect on the catalyst, and appears to enhance its activity. Increase in pressure increases the production of propylene and propane at the expense of ethylene. X-ray diffraction studies show the formation of an ultrastable zeolite. No permanent deactivation was observed even though the catalyst was overheated once, and had been deactivated and regenerated for as many as 21 times. Ethylene yields increase as the temperature …

The conversion of methanol or synthesis gas is an attractive route for producing ethylene and propylene from coal. Utilizing a chabazite ion exchanged with ammonium and rare earth chlorides, methanol is converted to ethylene and propylene with carbon yields of 70 to 90% at reaction temperatures of 375 to 425/sup 0/C and pressures to 100 psi. Carbon disulfide in the feed at concentrations less than 200 ppM increases the operating time between regenerations from four hours to twenty hours. At carbon disulfide concentrations of 300 ppM or greater, the catalyst goes through the stages of dehydrogenation catalysts, a producer of ethylene and propylene, and then a dehydration catalyst. Water has no detrimental effect on the catalyst, and appears to enhance its activity. When synthesis gas (a one-to-one mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) is passed over the catalyst at 365/sup 0/C and atmospheric pressure, methane, carbon and carbon dioxide are produced.

A possible route for producing low molecular weight olefins is to convert synthesis gas to methanol followed by conversion of methanol to olefins in a one-step process. During this report period the reaction apparatus suitable for reaction pressure of 500 to 1000 psig was constructed. A preliminary trial run was performed for the reaction of synthesis gas over an intimate mixture of methanol synthesis catalyst and Zeolon-500 (mixture of chabasite and erionite). The reaction temperature, pressure and space velocity were 400/sup 0/C, 800 psig, and 6000 h/sup -1/ (STP), respectively. The total carbon monoxide conversions were 15 to 24%. The major products were carbon dioxide and paraffins of C/sub 1/ to C/sub 4/. Deactivation of the catalyst occurred after 10 hours. X-ray diffraction patterns of the catalyst shows that crystal structure changed during the reaction, and the catalyst exhibited low crystallinity compared to synthetic erionite.