Dehydration of 2,3-butanediol over zeolite catalysts

Abstract

2,3-Butanediol as a product of biomass processing is a cheap alternative raw material for synthesis of methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and butadiene-1,3. The catalytic activity of Al- and Zr-containing BEA zeolites and an alumina-based catalyst in 2,3-butanediol dehydration has been investigated. It has been shown that the presence of Brönsted (H-BEA) or Lewis (Al₂O₃) sites leads to the selective formation of MEK and the combination of two types of sites (Zr-BEA) facilitates the formation of heavy products of condensation.