Series of acid and base supported γ-Al2O3 catalysts were prepared as heterogeneous catalysts for the isomerization of 3/4-methyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride firstly. Constant volume impregnation was applied to modify γ-Al2O3 using alkali metal (K or Na) as the basic source and phosphorus (P) as the acidic source. NH3/CO2-TPD was used to determine the acid-base properties of the catalyst. XRD, TEM/EDS, BET and TG were applied to analyze the apparent morphology and crystal structure. The isomers were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The reaction mechanism between the isomers is proposed. Referring to the obvious physical property changes after isomerization of 3-MTHPA, the reaction temperature, reaction time and catalyst dosage were investigated with 3-MTHPA as the substrate. A novel continuous isomerization fixed bed reactor was designed. The catalyst was tested for stability, and the loss of activity was small after 10 hours of operation.

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