RESUMO
Light aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene, collectively known as BTX) are essential commodity chemicals in the petrochemical industry. The present study examines the aromatization of bioethanol with Cr- and Ga-modified ZSM-5. Both Cr and Ga were incorporated by the ion-exchange method. Cr-modified ZSM-5 outperforms the Ga-modified ZSM-5 and H-ZSM-5 catalysts. Cr-H-ZSM-5 almost doubled the carbon yield of aromatics compared to H-ZSM-5 at an optimum reaction temperature of 450 °C. Cr-H-ZSM-5 produced aromatics with a yield of ~40 %. The effect of dilution in feed on BTX production is also studied. Cr-H-ZSM-5 was found to be more active than H-ZSM-5. Complete ethanol conversion was obtained with both pure and dilute bioethanol. The Bronsted-Lewis acid (BLA) pair formed after metal incorporation is responsible for dehydrogenation followed by aromatization, leading to increased aromatic production.