Adjusting acidity and porosity of Al-SBA-15 catalyst for methanol to dimethyl ether reaction

The present study aims to conduct a systematic assessment of Al-SBA-15 as the aluminum-substituted mesoporous catalyst for raw methanol dehydration to dimethyl ether (MTD). The catalysts are synthesized by varying the pretreatment variables (pH of the preparation and Si/Al ratio), the posttreatment variable (steaming time), and by the addition of aluminophosphate as the binder. The experimental design and the analysis of the results, especially the relation of characterization results and reactor performance, are performed by the optimal response surface method in Design-Expert software. The prepared micro-mesoporous catalyst exhibits an excellent activity, stability, and DME selectivity; therefore, it can be introduced as an efficient catalyst for raw methanol dehydration.