Paraffin isomerization process utilizing a catalyst comprising a mesoporous crystalline material

Abstract

Paraffins, especially paraffins in the C.sub.4 -C.sub.8 range, are isomerized to iso-paraffins over an isomerization catalyst comprising a noble metal such as platinum on a support material comprising an inorganic, non-layered, porous, crystalline phase aluminosilicate material with pores of at least 13 .ANG. and which exhibits, after calcination, an X-ray diffraction pattern with at least one peak at a d-spacing greater than 18 .ANG.. These materials have a high surface area and sorption capacity marked by a benzene adsorption capacity of greater than about 15 grams benzene per 100 grams at 50 torr and 25.degree. C. In its preferred form, the support material has a uniform, hexagonal arrangement of pores with diameters of at least about 13 .ANG. and a hexagonal electron diffraction pattern that can be indexed with a d.sub.100 value greater than about 18 .ANG. which corresponds to at least one peak in the X-ray diffraction pattern.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.