The influence of various synthesis parameters on the morphology and crystal size of ZSM-5 and the relationship between morphology and crystal size and propene oligomerization activity.

Methods to synthesize ZSM-5 with different morphologies and crystal sizes but with similar Si/Al ratios have been described. This is achieved by varying some of the synthesis parameters but care must be taken since in some cases these changes can result in phase changes taking place. Although it is often difficult to de-couple the crystal size effect from the influence of the morphology it was observed that in the high pressure propene oligomerization lath-shaped, polyhedral crystals show more rapid deactivation than polycrystalline spherulitic- shaped particles. This is probably due to the different diffusional pathlengths in the two samples.