Patents

The invention discloses a single step catalytic process for the conversion of naphtha to diesel range hydrocarbons. A bi-metaUic Pt-Sn/ZSM-5 catalyst has been developed for the direct conversion of n-heptane as well as naphtha in to diesel range hydrocarbons in a single step process. Conversion of paraffins into diesel in a single step process is first of its kind and the process also produces valuable bi-products such as gasoline range hydrocarbons, LPG, light olefins and hydrogen. The catalyst exhibits high yield diesel range hydrocarbons of about 15wt %, highest gasoline yield of about 74 wt% with iso-paraffins and aromatics as major components. Moreover, considerable amount of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) (18 wt%) and light olefins (10.7 wt%) are also formed as bi-product that adds value to the process. The study reveals the effective conversion of naphtha to high octane gasoline. The catalyst also exhibits the stability in activity for the studied period of 40h.