Skeletal isomerization of n-butene over medium pore zeolites

The skeletal isomerization of n-olefins is an important reaction to upgrade refinery and petrochemical feed streams. While for most of the larger olefins shape selective solid acid catalysts are successfully utilized, the skeletal isomerization of n-butene was seen for a long time to be too difficult to be achieved by conventional acid catalysts. In the last decade, however, molecular sieves with 10 MR channels, such as FER, TON and AEL type zeolites having Brønsted acid sites, emerged as successful and stable catalysts.