Catalytic Upgrading of Light Naphtha to Gasoline Blending Components: A Mini Review

The upgrading of light naphtha (C5–C6 stream) to gasoline blending components has been the subject of intensive research at both academic and industrial laboratories. The combination of high volatility and low-octane number has made this stream surplus at many refineries worldwide. This review presents the latest developments in selected catalytic upgrading processes and a brief discussion on the reaction mechanism and reactor models. A majority of the review falls within the development of catalysts for n-hexane isomerization to hydrocarbon isomers with a high octane number. There are three types of isomerization catalysts that include Pt/Al2O3–Cl, Pt/SO4–ZrO2, and Pt/zeolite. Efforts are ongoing to improve the catalyst performance for higher selectivity and catalyst lifetime. Very little work has been published on the conversion of n-pentane mainly as a result of its low activity and the limited options available for its transformation to gasoline blending components. Other approaches discussed in the review include dimerization and oligomerization of C5–C6 alkenes and methylative homologation. The review covers literature published during the period of 2000–2018.