Discovery of the zeolite catalyst ZSM-22 could have an impact on the production of cleaner transportation fuels from natural gas or biomass.

The catalyst, which was previously believed to be inactive in the conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons, has been discovered by researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway. It yields a unique hydrocarbon product spectrum.

One pathway for the production of petrochemical products from carbonaceous feedstocks involves the methanol-to-hydrocarbons reaction. For example, ExxonMobil is developing and promoting a methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) process using a ZSM-5 catalyst.

The ZSM-22 is rich in branched C5+ alkenes without producing aromatic products. The catalysts showed high selectivity which could be used to produce cleaner petrol. The aromatic reaction centres required for the initial alkenes formation reside in the narrow channels of ZSM-22 and further conversion of methanol proceeds largely through methylation and cracking.

The report was issued in the first edition of ChemCatChem, published by Wiley.