Organic Compound Conversion With McM-58

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to use of MCM-58, a composition of synthetic porous crystalline material, as a catalyst component for conversion of organic compounds.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Porous inorganic solids have found utility as catalysts for industrial application. The openness of their microstructure allows molecules access to the relatively large surface areas of these materials that enhance their catalytic activity. The porous materials in use today can be sorted into three broad categories using the details of their microstructure as a basis for classification. These categories are the amorphous and paracrystalline supports, the crystalline molecular sieves and modified layered materials. The detailed differences in the microstructures of these materials manifest themselves as important differences in the catalytic behavior of the materials, as well as in differences in various observable properties used to characterize them, such as their surface area, the sizes of pores and the variability in those sizes, the presence or absence of X-ray diffraction patterns and the details in such patterns, and the appearance of the materials when their microstructure is studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction methods.

Amorphous and paracrystalline materials represent an important class of porous inorganic solids that have been used for many years in industrial applications. Typical examples of these materials are the amorphous silicas commonly used in catalyst formulations and the paracrystalline transitional aluminas used as solid acid catalysts and petroleum reforming catalyst supports. The term "amorphous" is used here to indicate a material with no long range order and can be somewhat misleading, since almost all materials are ordered to some degree, at least on the local scale. An alternate term that has been used to describe these materials is "X-ray indifferent". The microstructure of the silicas consists of 100-250 Angstrom particles of dense amorphous silica (Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, 3rd. ed., vol. 20, 766-781 (1982)), with the porosity resulting from voids between the particles. Since there is no long range order in these materials, the pores tend to be distributed over a rather large range. This lack of order also manifests itself in the X-ray diffraction pattern, which is usually featureless.

Paracrystalline materials such as the transitional aluminas also have a wide distribution of pore sizes, but better defined X-ray diffraction patterns usually consisting of a few broad peaks. The microstructure of these materials consists of tiny crystalline regions of condensed alumina phases and the porosity of the materials results from irregular voids between these regions (K. Wefers and Chanakya Misra, "Oxides and Hydroxides of Aluminum" Technical Paper No. 19 Revised, Alcoa Research Laboratories, 54-59 (1987)). Since, in the case of either material, there is no long range order controlling the sizes of pores in the material, the variability in pore size is typically quite high. The sizes of pores in these materials fall into a regime called the mesoporous range, including, for example, pores within the range of about 15 to about 200 Angstroms.

In sharp contrast to these structurally ill-defined solids are materials whose pore size distribution is very narrow because it is controlled by the precisely repeating crystalline nature of the materials' microstructure. These materials are called "molecular sieves", the most important examples of which are zeolites.

Zeolites, both natural and synthetic, have been demonstrated in the past to have catalytic properties for various types of hydrocarbon conversion. Certain zeolitic materials are ordered, porous crystalline aluminosilicates having a definite crystalline structure as determined by X-ray diffraction, within which there are a large number of smaller cavities which may be interconnected by a number of still smaller channels or pores. These cavities and pores are uniform in size within a specific zeolitic material. Since the dimensions of these pores are such as to accept for adsorption molecules of certain dimensions while rejecting those of larger dimensions, these materials are known as "molecular sieves" and are utilized in a variety of ways to take advantage of these properties.

Such molecular sieves, both natural and synthetic, include a wide variety of positive ion-containing crystalline silicates. These silicates can be described as a rigid three-dimensional framework of SiO.sub.4 and Periodic Table Group IIIB element oxide, e.g., ALO.sub.4, in which the tetrahedra are cross-linked by the sharing of oxygen atoms whereby the ratio of the total Group IIIB element, e.g., aluminum, and Group IVB element, e.g., silicon, atoms to oxygen atoms is 1:2. The electrovalence of the tetrahedra containing the Group IIIB element, e.g., aluminum, is balanced by the inclusion in the crystal of a cation, for example, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal cation. This can be expressed wherein the ratio of the Group IIIB element, e.g., aluminum, to the number of various cations, such as Ca/2, Sr/2, Na, K or Li, is equal to unity. One type of cation may be exchanged either entirely or partially with another type of cation utilizing ion exchange techniques in a conventional manner. By means of such cation exchange, it has been possible to vary the properties of a given silicate by suitable selection of the cation. The spaces between the tetrahedra are occupied by molecules of water prior to dehydration.

Prior art techniques have resulted in the formation of a great variety of synthetic zeolites. Many of these zeolites have come to be designated by letter or other convenient symbols, as illustrated by zeolite A (U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,243); zeolite X (U.S. Pat. No. 2,882,244); zeolite Y (U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,007); zeolite ZK-5 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,247,195); zeolite ZK-4 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,314,752); zeolite ZSM-5 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,886); zeolite ZSM-11 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,979); zeolite ZSM-12 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,832,449), zeolite ZSM-20 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,972,983); ZSM-35 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,245); zeolite ZSM-23 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,842); zeolite MCM-22 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,325); and zeolite MCM-35 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,663), merely to name a few.

The SiO.sub.2 / Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio of a given zeolite is often variable. For example, zeolite X can be synthesized with SiO.sub.2 / Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratios of from 2 to 3; zeolite Y, from 3 to about 6. In some zeolites, the upper limit of the SiO.sub.2 / Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio is unbounded. ZSM-5 is one such example wherein the SiO.sub.2 / Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 ratio is at least 5 and up to the limits of present analytical measurement techniques. U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,871 (Re. 29,948) discloses a porous crystalline silicate made from a reaction mixture containing no deliberately added alumina in the recipe and exhibiting the X-ray diffraction pattern characteristic of ZSM-5. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,061,724, 4,073,865 and 4,104,294 describe crystalline silicate of varying alumina and metal content.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an organic compound feedstock conversion process using a new catalyst for manufacture of useful products.

The present invention is directed to use of a novel porous crystalline composition of matter, named MCM-58, for conversion of organic compounds contacted with an active form thereof. The calcined form of the porous crystalline material for use in this invention possesses a very high acid activity and exhibits a high sorption capacity. MCM-58 is reproducibly synthesized in high purity.

FIG. 1 shows the X-ray diffraction pattern of the assynthesized product of Example 6, hereinafter presented.

FIG. 2 shows the 2,2-dimethylbutane sorption isotherm for the product of Example 14, hereinafter presented.

FIG. 3 shows the n-hexane sorption isotherm for the product of Example 14, hereinafter presented.

U.S. Applications Ser. Nos. 08/205,437 and 08/137,705 are entirely incorporated herein by reference for definition of MCM-58 and its properties.

The crystalline MCM-58 material for use herein has a composition involving the molar relationship:

X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :(n)YO.sub.2,

wherein X is a trivalent element, such as aluminum, boron, iron, indium, and/or gallium, preferably aluminum; Y is a tetravalent element such as silicon, tin, and/or germanium, preferably silicon; and n is from greater than about 10 to about 1000, usually from greater than about 10 to about 400, more usually from about 20 to about 200. In the as-synthesized form, the material has a formula, on an anhydrous basis and in terms of moles of oxides per n moles of YO.sub.2, as follows:

(0.1-2)M.sub.2 O:(0.2-2)R:X.sub.2 O.sub.3 :nYO.sub.2

wherein M is an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and R is an organic moiety. The M and R components are associated with the material as a result of their presence during crystallization, and are easily removed by post-crystallization methods hereinafter more particularly described.

The MCM-58 for use in the invention is thermally stable and in the calcined form exhibits significant hydrocarbon sorption capacity. To the extent desired, the original sodium and/or potassium cations of the as-synthesized material can be replaced in accordance with techniques well known in the art, at least in part, by ion exchange with other cations. Preferred replacing cations include metal ions, hydrogen ions, hydrogen precursor, e.g., ammonium, ions and mixtures thereof. Particularly preferred cations are those which tailor the catalytic activity for certain hydrocarbon conversion reactions. These include hydrogen, rare earth metals and metals of Groups IIA, IIIA, IVA, IB, IIB, IIIB, IVB and VIII of the Periodic Table of the Elements.

In the as-synthesized form, the crystalline MCM-58 material for use in the invention appears to be a single crystalline phase. It can be prepared in essentially pure form with little or no detectable impurity crystal phases and has an X-ray diffraction pattern which is distinguished from the patterns of other known as-synthesized or thermally treated crystalline materials by the lines listed in Table I below:

These X-ray diffraction data were collected with a Scintag diffraction system, equipped with a germanium solid state detector, using copper K-alpha radiation. The diffraction data were recorded by step-scanning at 0.02 degrees of two-theta, where theta is the Bragg angle, and a counting time of 10 seconds for each step. The interplanar spacings, d's, were calculated in Angstrom units (A), and the relative intensities of the lines, I/I.sub.o is one-hundredth of the intensity of the strongest line, above background, were derived with the use of a profile fitting routine (or second derivative algorithm). The intensities are uncorrected for Lorentz and polarization effects. The relative intensities are given in terms of the symbols vs=very strong (80-100), s=strong (60-80), m=medium (40-60), w=weak (20-40), and vw=very weak (0-20). It should be understood that diffraction data listed for this sample as single lines may consist of multiple overlapping lines which under certain conditions, such as differences in crystallographic changes, may appear as resolved or partially resolved lines. Typically, crystallographic changes can include minor changes in unit cell parameters and/or a change in crystal symmetry, without a change in the structure. These minor effects, including changes in relative intensities, can also occur as a result of differences in cation content, framework composition, nature and degree of pore filling, and thermal and/or hydrothermal history.

When used as a catalyst, the MCM-58 may be subjected to treatment to remove part or all of any organic constituent. The crystalline material can also be used as a catalyst in intimate combination with a hydrogenating component such as tungsten, vanadium, molybdenum, rhenium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, manganese, or a noble metal such as platinum or palladium where a hydrogenation-dehydrogenation function is to be performed. Such component can be in the composition by way of cocrystallization, exchanged into the composition to the extent a Group IIIA element, e.g., aluminum, is in the structure, impregnated therein or intimately physically admixed therewith. Such component can be impregnated in or on to it such as, for example, by, in the case of platinum, treating the silicate with a solution containing a platinum metal-containing ion. Thus, suitable platinum compounds for this purpose include chloroplatinic acid, platinous chloride and various compounds containing the platinum amine complex.

The crystalline MCM-58 material can be transformed by thermal treatment. This thermal treatment is generally performed by heating at a temperature of at least about 370.degree. C. for at least 1 minute and generally not longer than 20 hours. While subatmospheric pressure can be employed for the thermal treatment, atmospheric pressure is desired for reasons of convenience. The thermal treatment can be performed at a temperature up to about 925.degree. C. The thermally treated product, especially in its metal, hydrogen and ammonium forms, is particularly useful in the catalysis of certain organic, e.g., hydrocarbon, conversion reactions.

As a catalyst component in an organic compound conversion process, MCM-58 should be dehydrated, at least partially. This can be done by heating to a temperature in the range of 200.degree. C. to about 370.degree. C. in an atmosphere such as air, nitrogen, etc., and at atmospheric, subatmospheric or superatmospheric pressures for between 30 minutes and 48 hours. Dehydration can also be performed at room temperature merely by placing the MCM-58 in a vacuum, but a longer time is required to obtain a sufficient amount of dehydration.

MCM-58 can be prepared from a reaction mixture containing sources of alkali or alkaline earth metal (M), e.g., sodium and/or potassium, cation, an oxide of trivalent element X, e.g., aluminum and/or boron, an oxide of tetravalent element Y, e.g., silicon, directing agent (R), and water, said reaction mixture having a composition, in terms of mole ratios of oxides, within the following ranges:

In this synthesis method, the preferred source of YO.sub.2 comprises predominately solid YO.sub.2, for example at least about 30 wt.% solid YO.sub.2. Where YO.sub.2 is silica, the use of a silica source containing at least about 30 wt.% solid silica, e.g., Ultrasil (a precipitated, spray dried silica containing about 90 wt.% silica) or HiSil (a precipitated hydrated SiO.sub.2 containing about 87 wt.% silica, about 6 wt.% free H.sub.2 O and about 4.5 wt.% bound H.sub.2 O of hydration and having a particle size of about 0.02 micron) is preferred for MCM-58 formation from the above mixture. Preferably, therefore, the YO.sub.2, e.g., silica, source contains at least about 30 wt.% solid YO.sub.2, e.g., silica, and more preferably at least about 40 wt.% solid YO.sub.2, e.g., silica.

The organic directing agent R for use herein above is either the cation benzylquinuclidinium, having a formula C.sub.14 H.sub.20 N.sup.+ or the cation benzyltropanium, having a formula C.sub.15 H.sub.22 N.sup.+, and may be represented as follows: ##STR1##

The sources of these organic cations may be, for example, the halide, e.g., chloride or bromide, or hydroxide salt. Sources of organic directing agents used in the following examples were synthesized as follows:

(1) Benzylquinuclidinium halide, i.e., bromide, was synthesized by reacting benzylbromide and quinuclidine in absolute ethanol solvent in a flask equipped with a reflux condenser, a thermometer and a stirrer. The flask was charged with 60.0 grams of benzylbromide with 200 ml of absolute ethanol. Then 33.4 grams of quinuclidine dissolved in 300 ml of absolute ethanol was transferred to the flask. Heating and stirring of the flask reaction mixture commenced immediately.

The reaction mixture was refluxed (.about.70.degree. C.) overnight with stirring before quenching the reaction vessel in a dry iceacetone bath to -40.degree. C. The cold crystalline product was separated from the solvent, filtered, and washed with anhydrous diethylether on a Buchner funnel. The crystals were dried in an air stream, then chemically analyzed. The benzylquinuclidium bromide product of this example was found to be composed of 56.13 wt.% C, 7.46 wt.% H, 4.66 wt.% N and 28.13 wt. % Br;

(2) Benzyltropanium halide, i.e., bromide, was synthesized by reacting benzylbromide and tropane in absolute ethanol solvent in a flask equipped with a reflux condenser, a thermometer and a stirrer. The flask was charged with 60.0 grams of benzylbromide with 300 ml of absolute ethanol. Then 37.6 grams of tropane dissolved in 300 ml of absolute ethanol was transferred to the flask. Heating and stirring of the flask reaction mixture commenced immediately.

The reaction mixture was refluxed (.about.70.degree. C.) overnight with stirring before quenching the reaction vessel in a dry ice-acetone bath to -40.degree. C. The cold crystalline product was separated from the solvent, filtered, and washed with anhydrous diethylether on a Buchner funnel. The benzyltropanium bromide product crystals were then dried in an air stream.

Crystallization of the MCM-58 can be carried out at either static or stirred conditions in a suitable reactor vessel, such as for example, polypropylene jars or teflon lined or stainless steel autoclaves. The total useful range of temperatures for crystallization is from about 80.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C. for a time sufficient for crystallization to occur at the temperature used, e.g., from about 12 hours to about 100 days. Thereafter, the crystals are separated from the liquid and recovered.

It should be realized that the reaction mixture components can be supplied by more than one source. The reaction mixture can be prepared either batchwise or continuously. Crystal size and crystallization time of the new crystalline material will vary with the nature of the reaction mixture employed and the crystallization conditions.

Synthesis of MCM-58 crystals may be facilitated by the presence of at least 0.01 percent, preferably 0.10 percent and still more preferably 1 percent, seed crystals (based on total weight) of crystalline product.

The MCM-58 crystals can be shaped into a wide variety of particle sizes for use herein. Generally speaking, the particles can be in the form of a powder, a granule, or a molded product, such as an extrudate having particle size sufficient to pass through a 2 mesh (Tyler) screen and be retained on a 400 mesh (Tyler) screen. In cases where the catalyst is molded, such as by extrusion, the crystals can be extruded before drying or partially dried and then extruded.

The crystalline MCM-58 material can be used to catalyze a wide variety of chemical conversion processes including many of present commercial/industrial importance. Conversion conditions, in general, include a temperature of from about -25.degree. C. to about 760.degree. C., a pressure of from about 0 to about 5,000 psig, and a weight hourly space velocity of from about 0.01 hr.sup.-1 to about 2,000 hr.sup.-1. Examples of chemical conversion processes which are effectively catalyzed by MCM-58, by itself or in combination with one or more other catalytically active substances including other crystalline catalysts, include those requiring a catalyst with acid activity. Specific examples include:

(1) toluene disproportionation, with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 200.degree. C. to about 760.degree. C., a pressure of from about atmospheric to about 60 atmospheres, a weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of from about 0 1 hr.sup.-1 to about 20 hr.sup.-1 and a hydrogen/hydrocarbon mole ratio of from 0 (no added hydrogen) to about 50, to provide disproportionation product, including p-xylene;

(2) transalkylation of aromatics, in gas or liquid phase, with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 100.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C., a pressure of from about 1 to about 200 atmospheres, and a WHSV of from 1 hr.sup.-1 to about 10,000 hr.sup.-1 ;

(3) reaction of paraffins with aromatics to form alkylaromatics and light gases with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 260.degree. C. to about 375.degree. C., a pressure of from about 0 to about 1000 psig, a WHSV of from about 0 5 hr.sup.-1 to about 10 hr.sup.-1 and a hydrogen/hydrocarbon mole ratio of from 0 (no added hydrogen) to about 10;

(4) paraffin isomerization to provide branched paraffins with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 200.degree. C. to about 315.degree. C., a pressure of from about 100 to 1000 psig, a WHSV of from about 0 5 hr.sup.-1 to about 10 hr.sup.-1, and a hydrogen/hydrocarbon mole ratio of from about 0.5 to about 10;

(5) alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., benzene, with long chain olefins of six or more carbon atoms, e.g., C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 olefin, with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 340.degree. C. to about 500.degree. C., a pressure of from about atmospheric to about 200 atmospheres, a weight hourly space velocity of from about 2 hr.sup.-1 to about 2000 hr.sup.-1 and an aromatic hydrocarbon/olefin mole ratio of from about 1/1 to about 20/1, to provide long chain alkyl aromatics which can be subsequently sulfonated to provide synthetic detergents;

(6) alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with gaseous olefins to provide short chain alkyl (e.g., C.sub.2 -C.sub.5) aromatic compounds, e.g., the alkylation of benzene with propylene to provide cumene, with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 10.degree. C. to about 125.degree. C., a pressure of from about 1 to about 30 atmospheres, and an aromatic hydrocarbon weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of from 5 hr.sub.-1 to about 50 hr.sup.-1 ;

(7) alkylation of reformate containing substantial quantities of benzene and toluene with fuel gas containing C.sub.5 olefins to provide, inter alia, mono- and dialkylates with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 315.degree. C. to about 455.degree. C., a pressure of from about 400 to about 800 psig, a WHSV-olefin of from about 0.4 hr.sup.-1 to about 0.8 hr.sup.-, a WHSV-reformate of from about 1 hr.sup.- to about 2 hr.sup.- and a gas recycle of from about 1.5 to 2.5 vol/vol fuel gas feed;

(8) alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons, e.g., benzene, toluene, xylene and naphthalene, with long chain olefins of six or more carbon atoms, e.g., C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 olefin, to provide alkylated aromatic lube base stocks with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 160.degree. C. to about 260.degree. C. and a pressure of from about 350 to 450 psig;

(9) alkylation of phenols with an alkylation agent selected from the group consisting of long chain, e.g., C.sub.6 -C.sub.14, olefins or equivalent alcohols to provide long chain alkyl phenols with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about 200.degree. C. to about 250.degree. C., a pressure of from about 200 to 300 psig and a total WHSV of from about 2 hr.sup.-1 to about 10 hr.sup.-1 ; and

(10) alkylation of isoalkanes, e.g., isobutane, with olefins, e.g., 2-butene, with reaction conditions including a temperature of from about -25.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C., e.g., from 75.degree. C. to 200.degree. C., a pressure of from below atmospheric to about 35000 kPa (5000 psig), e.g., from 100 to 7000 kPa (1 to 1000 psig), a weight hourly space velocity based on olefin of from about 0.01 hr.sup.-1 to about 100 hr.sup.-1, e.g., from 0.1 hr.sup.-1 to 20 hr.sup.-, and a mole ratio of total isoalkane to total olefin of from about 1:2 to about 100:1, e.g., from 3:1 to 30:1.

In the Case of many catalysts, it is desired to incorporate the new MCM-58 crystal with another material resistant to the temperatures and other conditions employed in organic conversion processes. Such materials include active and inactive materials and synthetic or naturally occurring zeolites as well as inorganic materials such as clays, silica and/or metal oxides such as alumina. The latter may be either naturally occurring or in the form of gelatinous precipitates or gels including mixtures of silica and metal oxides. Use of a material in conjunction with the new crystal, i.e., combined therewith or present during synthesis of the new crystal, which is active, tends to change the conversion and/or selectivity of the catalyst in certain organic conversion processes. Inactive materials suitably serve as diluents to control the amount of conversion in a given process so that products can be obtained economically and orderly without employing other means for controlling the rate of reaction. These materials may be incorporated into naturally occurring clays, e.g., bentonite and kaolin, to improve the crush strength of the catalyst under commercial operating conditions. Said materials, i.e., clays, oxides, etc., function as binders for the catalyst. It is desirable to provide a catalyst having good crush strength because in commercial use it is desirable to prevent the catalyst from breaking down into powder-like materials. These clay and/or oxide binders have been employed normally only for the purpose of improving the crush strength of the catalyst.

Naturally occurring clays which can be composited with the new crystal include the montmorillonite and kaolin family, which families include the subbentonites, and the kaolins commonly known as Dixie, McNamee, Georgia and Florida clays or others in which the main mineral constituent is halloysite, kaolinite, dickite, nacrite, or anauxite. Such clays can be used in the raw state as originally mined or initially subjected to calcination, acid treatment or chemical modification. Binders useful for compositing with the present crystal also include inorganic oxides, such as silica, zirconia, titania, magnesia, beryllia, alumina, and mixtures thereof.

In addition to the foregoing materials, the new crystal can be composited with a porous matrix material such as silica-alumina, silica-magnesia, silica-zirconia, silica-thoria, silica-beryllia, silica-titania as well as ternary compositions such as silica-alumina-thoria, silica-alumina-airconia silica-alumina-magnesia and silica-magnesia-zirconia.

The relative proportions of finely divided crystalline material and inorganic oxide matrix vary widely, with the crystal content ranging from about 1 to about 90 percent by weight and more usually, particularly when the composite is prepared in the form of beads, in the range of about 2 to about 80 weight percent of the composite.

In order to more fully illustrate the nature of the invention and the manner of practicing same, the following examples are presented. In the examples, whenever sorption data are set forth for comparison of sorptive capacities for 2,2-dimethylbutane (2,2-DMB) and n-hexane, they were Equilibrium Adsorption values determined as follows.

A weighed sample of the calcined adsorbant was contacted with the desired pure adsorbate vapor in an adsorption chamber, evacuated to less than 1 mm and contacted with 40 Torr of n-hexane or 2,2-DMB vapor, pressures less than the vapor-liquid equilibrium pressure of the respective adsorbate at 30.degree. C. for n-hexane and 90.degree. C. for 2,2-DMB. The pressure was kept constant (within about .+-.0.5 mm) by addition of adsorbate vapor controlled by a manostat during the adsorption period, which did not exceed about 8 hours. As adsorbate was adsorbed by the new crystal, the decrease in pressure caused the manostat to open a valve which admitted more adsorbate vapor to the chamber to restore the above control pressures. Sorption was complete when the pressure change was not sufficient to activate the manostat. The increase in weight was calculated as the adsorption capacity of the sample in mg/g of calcined adsorbant.

When Alpha Value is examined, it is noted that the Alpha Value is an approximate indication of the acid catalytic activity of the catalyst compared to a standard catalyst and it gives the relative rate constant (rate of normal hexane conversion per volume of catalyst per unit time). It is based on the activity of silica-alumina cracking catalyst taken as an Alpha of 1 (Rate Constant =0.016 sec.sup.-1). The Alpha Test is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,078; in the Journal of Catalysis, 4, 527 (1965); 6, 278 (1966); and 61, 395 (1980), each incorporated herein by reference as to that description. The experimental conditions of the test used herein include a constant temperature of 538.degree. C. and a variable flow rate as described in detail in the Journal of Catalysis, 61, 395.

Experiments were conducted for synthesis of crystalline product material. In these experiments, Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3. 18H.sub.2 O and KOH pellets were dissolved in deionized water. The benzylquinuclidinium bromide prepared as above was then dissolved in the solution. Colloidal silica sol (30 wt.% SiO.sub.2) was then mixed into the solution. The mixture was stirred for 2 minutes to produce a uniform, fluid hydrogel, having, respectively, the compositions shown in Table II where R is the cation of benzylquinuclidinium bromide.

The hydrogel of each experiment was then transferred to a 300 ml stainless steel autoclave equipped with a stirrer. The autoclave was capped and sealed; and 400 psig of inert gas was introduced into the autoclave. Stirring and heating were started immediately. Crystallizations were carried out at 170.degree. C. with stirring.

Crystalline products were recovered, filtered, washed with deionized water, and dried on a filter funnel in an air stream under an infrared lamp. The dried crystalline powder products were then submitted for X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis.

The X-ray diffraction data for the as-synthesized products of Examples 6 and 7 are presented in Tables III and IV, respectively. The X-ray diffraction pattern generated by the product of Example 6 is presented in FIG. 1.

Chemical analysis results for the as-synthesized products of Examples 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 are presented in Table V.

There appears to be no clear trend in the alkali metal content per 100 tetrahedra, but there does appear to be approximately 4-6 template cations per 100 tetrahedra in the MCM-58 framework, indicating templating activity for the benzylquinuclidinium cation.

MCM-58 products of Examples 4, 5, and 6 were weighed into quartz boats, then placed into a Heviduty.RTM. tube furnace and sealed with nitrogen gas flowing through the furnace tube. The heating of the furnace was begun at 2.degree. C./minute from room temperature to 538.degree. C. When the furnace reached the maximum temperature, the flowing gas was switched to air, and the calcination of the zeolite was continued for 15 hours before termination.

The air calcined samples were ammonium exchanged with 1 M NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3 at 80.degree. C. for 6 hours. After ammonium exchange, the zeolites were filtered, washed with deionized water, and dried in an air stream on the filter funnel under an infrared heat lamp.

The calcination procedure was repeated on the ammonium-exchanged materials in the tube furnace in the same manner as described above, except this time the samples were held at 538.degree. C. for 8 hours to convert them to HMCM-58. Examples 12, 13, and 14 products were MCM-58 materials from the products of Examples 4, 5, and 6, respectively.

Samples of the HMCM-58 products of Examples 12, 13, and 14 were tested for acid catalytic activity in the Alpha Test and found to have Alpha Values of 521, 164, and 510, respectively.

A convenient measure of the extent to which a crystalline material provides control to molecules of varying sizes to its internal structure is the Constraint Index (CI) of the material. Zeolites which provide a highly restricted access to and egress from their internal structures have a high value for the Constraint Index, and zeolites of this kind usually have pores of small size, e.g., less than 5 Angstroms. On the other hand, zeolites which provide relatively free access to their internal structures have a low value for the Constraint Index and usually have pores of large size, e.g., greater than 8 Angstroms. The method by which Constraint Index is determined is described fully in U.S. Pat. No. 4,016,218, incorporated herein by reference for details of the method.

Constraint Index values for some typical zeolites are as follows:

The Constraint Index of the HMCM-58 product of Example 13 was determined to be 0.3 at 316.degree. C. This value falls within the classification of the more open structures having 12-membered rings. Hence, it is concluded from the catalytic Constraint Index Test result that HMCM-58 contains at least a 12-membered ring structure.

A sample of the HMCM-58 product of Example 14 was subjected to sorption evaluation. FIG. 2 shows the 2,2-dimethylbutane (2,2-DMB) sorption measurements at 90.degree. C. for this sample. The rapid uptake of 2,2-dimethylbutane indicates a very open pore structure.

A sample of the HMCM-58 product of Example 14 was also subjected to n-hexane sorption evaluation. FIG. 3 shows the n-hexane sorption measurement at 30.degree. C. for this sample. The rapid uptake of n-hexane into the HMCM-58 sample indicates a very open structure.

A solution was prepared by dissolving 0.99 g of boric acid and 4.93 g KOH pellets into 138.24 g deionized water. After the boric acid and KOH dissolved, 13.54 g of the organic template benzylquinuclidinium bromide was added to the solution and stirred until it dissolved. This solution was then transferred to a 300 ml stainless-steel autoclave. Now 48.0 g of colloidal silica sol (30% SiO.sub.2) was added directly to the autoclave and the mixture was stirred for 2 minutes to produce a uniform, fluid hydrogel.

The autoclave was sealed, and stirring and heating were begun immediately. The autoclave was heated at a rate of 2.degree. C./min. to the reaction temperature of 170.degree. C. The autoclave was then held at 170.degree. C. for 7 days with stirring at 400 rpm.

The resultant product was filtered, washed with boiling water, then dried in an air stream on the filter under an infrared heat lamp. The dried product was analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction analysis which showed that the material was crystalline borosilicate MCM-58.

In these experiments, Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3 . 18H.sub.2 O and KOH pellets for potassium or NaOH pellets for sodium were dissolved in deionized water. Benzyltropanium bromide prepared as above was then dissolved in the solution. Colloidal silica sol (30 wt.% SiO.sub.2) was then mixed into the solution. The mixture was stirred for 2 minutes to produce a uniform, fluid hydrogel, having, respectively, the compositions shown in Table VI where R is the cation of benzyltropanium bromide.

The hydrogel of each experiment was then transferred to a 300 ml stainless steel autoclave equipped with a stirrer. The autoclave was capped and sealed; and 400 psig of inert gas was introduced into the autoclave. Stirring and heating were started immediately. Crystallizations were carried out at 170.degree. C. with stirring.

Crystalline products were recovered, filtered, washed with deionized water, and dried on a filter funnel in an air stream under an infrared lamp. The dried crystalline powder products were then submitted for X-ray diffraction and chemical analysis.

Chemical analysis results for the as-synthesized product of Example 23 is presented in Table VII.

Since there are approximately 6 template cations per 100 tetrahedra in the zeolite framework of the product of Example 23, templating activity for the benzyltropanium cation is indicated.

Zeolite products of Examples 23, 24, and 25 were weighed into quartz boats, then placed into a Heviduty.RTM. tube furnace and sealed with nitrogen gas flowing through the furnace tube. The heating of the furnace was begun at 2.degree. C./minute from room temperature to 538.degree. C. When the furnace reached the maximum temperature, the flowing gas was switched to air, and the calcination of the zeolite was continued for 15 hours before termination.

The air calcined samples were ammonium exchanged with 1M NH.sub.4 NO.sub.3 at 80.degree. C. for 6 hours. After ammonium exchange, the zeolites were filtered, washed with deionized water, and dried in an air stream on the filter funnel under an infrared heat lamp.

The calcination procedure was repeated on the ammoniumexchanged materials in the tube furnace in the same manner as described above, except this time the samples were held at 538.degree. C. for 8 hours to convert them to the hydrogen form of the zeolite. Examples 26, 27, and 28 products were zeolite materials from the products of Examples 23, 24, and 25, respectively.