Activation of zeolites

Claim 1

A method of activation a catalyst composition comprising a framework aluminum-deficient crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite containing non-framework aluminum which comprises providing said aluminum-deficient zeolite, which as been deactivated by removal of aluminum from said framework, during exposure to at least one gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen and steam, under conditions effective to remove said aluminum from said framework contacting said catalyst composition with a dilute aqueous fluoride solution of from about 0.001 to 0.1 N, wherein said solution is essentially free of zeolite framework substituting atoms at a temperature of about 20 to 100° C. for about 0.1 to 48 hours, wherein said fluoride solution is prepared from at least one fluoride reagent selected from the group consisting of, ammonium hydrogen fluoride and a mixture of ammonium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride converting said fluoride solution treated catalyst to its ammonium exchanged form, thereafter calcining said converted catalyst, wherein said catalyst composition treated by said method has been previously utilized in an organic compound conversion or contacted with steam, under conditions sufficient to deactivate said composition by removal of aluminum from said zeolite framework; and recovering said zeolite which exhibits a hexane cracking activity greater than that of the aluminum-deficient zeolite.

Claim 2

A method of activation a catalyst composition comprising a framework aluminum-deficient crystalline aluminosilicate zeolite containing non-framework aluminum which comprises providing said aluminum-deficient zeolite, which as been deactivated by removal of aluminum from said framework, during exposure to at least one gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen and steam, under conditions effective to remove said aluminum from said framework contacting said catalyst composition with a dilute aqueous fluoride solution of from about 0.001 to 0.1 N, wherein said solution is essentially free of zeolite framework substituting atoms at a temperature of about 20 to 100° C. for about 0.1 to 48 hours, wherein said fluoride solution is prepared from at least one fluoride reagent selected from the group consisting of, ammonium hydrogen fluoride and a mixture of ammonium fluoride and hydrogen fluoride converting said fluoride solution treated catalyst to its ammonium exchanged form, thereafter calcining said converted catalyst, wherein said catalyst composition treated by said method has been previously utilized in an organic compound conversion or contacted with steam, under conditions sufficient to deactivate said composition by removal of aluminum from said zeolite framework; and recovering said zeolite which exhibits a hexane cracking activity greater than that of the aluminum-deficient zeolite.