Development of new catalysts for deep hydrodesulfurization of gas oil

TiO₂–Al₂O₃ composite supports have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) over γ-Al₂O₃ substrate, using TiCl₄ as the precursor. High dispersion of TiO₂ overlayer on the surface of Al₂O₃ has been obtained, and no cluster formation has been detected. The catalytic behavior of Mo supported on Al₂O₃, TiO₂ and TiO₂–Al₂O₃ composite has been investigated for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and methyl-substituted DBT derivatives. The conversion over the Mo catalysts supported on TiO₂–Al₂O₃ composite, in particular for the HDS of 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) is much higher than that of conversion obtained over Mo catalyst supported on Al₂O₃. The ratio of the corresponding cyclohexylbenzenes/biphenyls is increased over Mo catalyst supported on TiO₂–Al₂O₃ composite support. This means that the reaction rate of prehydrogenation of an aromatic ring rather than the rate of hydrogenolysis of C–S bond cleavage is accelerated for the HDS of DBT derivatives. The Mo/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ catalyst leads to higher catalytic performance for deep HDS of gas oil.     

Hydrodesulfurization of dibenzothiophenes over molybdenum catalyst supported on TiO2–Al2O3

Composite types of TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supports, which are γ-aluminas coated by titania, have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), using TiCl₄ as a precursor. Then supported molybdenum catalysts have been prepared by an impregnation method. As supports, we employed γ-alumina, anatase types of titania, and composite types of TiO₂–Al₂O₃ with different loadings of TiO₂. We studied the conversion of Mo from oxidic to sulfidic state through sulfurization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained spectra unambiguously revealed the higher reducibility from oxidic to sulfidic molybdenum species on the TiO₂ and TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supports compared to that on the Al₂O₃ support. Higher TiO₂ loadings of the TiO₂–Al₂O₃ composite support led to higher reducibility for molybdenum species. Furthermore, the catalytic behavior of supported molybdenum catalysts has been investigated for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and methyl-substituted DBT derivatives. The conversion over the TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supported Mo catalysts, in particular for the 4,6-dimethyl-DBT, is much higher than that obtained over Al₂O₃ supported Mo catalyst. The ratio of the corresponding cyclohexylbenzene (CHB)/biphenyl (BP) derivatives is increased over the Mo/TiO₂–Al₂O₃. This indicates that the prehydrogenation of an aromatic ring plays an important role in the HDS of DBT derivatives over TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supported catalysts.     

TiO2-coated on Al2O3 support prepared by the CVD method for HDS catalysts

Mo---Co or Mo---Ni catalysts supported on alumina (Al₂O₃) have been widely used for hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of heavy petroleum fractions. In order to enhance the catalytic activities for HDS, a composite type support (TiO₂-Al₂O₃) prepared by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method has been studied. We found that Mo catalyst supported on TiO₂-Al₂O₃ showed much higher catalytic activity for HDS of dibenzothiophene derivatives than the catalysts supported on Al₂O₃.     

HDS and HDN activity of molybdenum and nickel–molybdenum catalysts supported on alumina–titania carriers

Alumina–titania supports containing 5–50 wt.% of TiO₂ were prepared by coprecipitation method using inorganic precursors (sodium aluminate and titanium chloride). DTA-TGA, XRD, SEM, TPD_NH3, and IR spectroscopy were used to characterise these materials. The study shows that the promoting effect of nickel on the HDS activity of molybdenum catalysts supported on Al₂O₃TiO₂ is significantly lower than that for molybdenum catalyst supported on Al₂O₃, and depends on the TiO₂ content. The SEM results show that in the case of rich Al support (20 wt.% of TiO₂) molybdenum was aggregated on the external surface of the catalyst, whereas it was uniformly dispersed on the external surface of alumina. Results also show that molybdenum is preferably supported on aluminum oxide. Application of Al₂O₃TiO₂ oxides enhances the HDN activity of nickel–molybdenum catalysts. The highest HDN efficiency was obtained for the NiMo/Al₂O₃TiO₂ catalyst containing 50 wt.% of TiO₂. HDN activity was found to depend on protonic acidity and anatase content.     

A new route to prepare supported nickel phosphide/silica–alumina hydrotreating catalysts from amorphous alloys

Supported nickel phosphides were prepared by treating an amorphous Ni–B alloy on silica–alumina support with phosphine (15 vol.% PH₃/H₂) at relatively low temperature. The amorphous Ni–B/SiO₂–Al₂O₃ precursors were synthesized by silver-induced electroless plating. The amorphous precursors and catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, BET surface area and inductively coupled plasma measurements. The transmission electron micrographs of the Ni₂P/SiO₂–Al₂O₃ particles with their size ranging from 60 to 80 nm showed that they were homogeneously dispersed over the SiO₂–Al₂O₃ support. The as-prepared catalysts exhibited an excellent catalytic activity in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene.     

A model catalyst approach to the effects of the support on Co–Mo hydrodesulfurization catalysts

Co–Mo model sulfide catalysts, in which CoMoS phases are selectively formed, were prepared by means of a CVD technique using Co(CO)₃NO as a precursor of Co. It is shown by means of XPS, FTIR and NO adsorption that CoMoS phases form selectively when the Mo content exceeds monolayer loading. A single exposure of MoS₂/Al₂O₃ to a vapor of Co(CO)₃NO at room temperature fills the edge sites of the MoS₂ particles. It is suggested that the maximum potential HDS activity of MoS₂/Al₂O₃ and Co–Mo/Al₂O₃ catalysts can be predicted by means of Co(CO)₃NO as a “probe” molecule. An attempt was made to determine the fate of Co(CO)₃NO adsorbed on MoS₂/Al₂O₃. The effects of the support on Co–Mo sulfide catalysts in HDS and HYD were investigated by use of CVD-Co/MoS₂/support catalysts. XPS and NO adsorption showed that model catalysts can also be prepared for SiO₂-, TiO₂- and ZrO₂-supported catalysts by means of the CVD technique. The thiophene HDS activity of CVD-Co/MoS₂/Al₂O₃, CVD-Co/MoS₂/TiO₂ and CVD-Co/MoS₂/Al₂O₃ is proportional to the amount of Co species interacting with the edge sites of MoS₂ particles or CoMoS phases. It is concluded that the support does not influence the HDS reactivity of CoMoS phases supported on TiO₂, ZrO₂ and Al₂O₃. In contrast, CoMoS phases on SiO₂ show catalytic features characteristic of CoMoS Type II. With the hydrogenation of butadiene, on the other hand, the Co species on MoS₂/TiO₂, ZrO₂ and SiO₂ have the same activity, while the Co species on MoS₂/Al₂O₃ have a higher activity.     

Hydrodesulfurization activity of CoMo and NiMo supported on Al2O3–TiO2 for some model compounds and gas oils

Catalytic activities of Al₂O₃–TiO₂ supporting CoMo and NiMo sulfides (CoMoS and NiMoS) catalysts were examined in the transalkylation of isopropylbenzene and hydrogenation of naphthalene as well as the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of model sulfur compounds, conventional gas oil (GO), and light cycle oil (LCO). Al₂O₃–TiO₂ supporting catalysts exhibited higher activities for these reactions except for the HDS of the gas oil than a reference Al₂O₃ supporting catalyst, indicating the correlation of these activities. Generally, more content of TiO₂ promoted the activities. Inferior activity of the catalyst for HDS of the gas oil is ascribed to its inferior activity for HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in gas oil as well as in model solvent decane, while the refractory 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) in gas oil as well as in decane was more desulfurized on the catalyst. Characteristic features of Al₂O₃–TiO₂ catalyst are discussed based on the paper results.     

Catalytic activities of Co(Ni)Mo/TiO2–Al2O3 catalysts in gasoil and thiophene HDS and pyridine HDN: effect of the TiO2–Al2O3 composition

The effect of the TiO₂–Al₂O₃ mixed oxide support composition on the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of gasoil and the simultaneous HDS and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of gasoil+pyridine was studied over two series of CoMo and NiMo catalysts. The intrinsic activities for gasoil HDS and pyridine HDN were significantly increased by increasing the amount of TiO₂ into the support, and particularly over rich- and pure-TiO₂-based catalysts. It is suggested that the increase in activity be due to an improvement in reducing and sulfiding of molybdena over TiO₂. The inhibiting effect of pyridine on gasoil HDS was found to be similar for all the catalysts, i.e., was independent of the support composition. The ranking of the catalysts for the gasoil HDS test differed from that obtained for the thiophene test at different hydrogen pressures. In the case of gasoil HDS, the activity increases with TiO₂ content and large differences are observed between the catalysts supported on pure Al₂O₃ and pure TiO₂. In contrast, in the case of the thiophene test, the pure Al₂O₃-based catalyst appeared relatively more active than the catalysts supported on mixed oxides. Also, in the thiophene test the difference in intrinsic activity between the pure Al₂O₃-based catalyst appeared relatively more active than the catalysts supported on mixed oxides. Also in the thiophene test, the difference in intrinsic activity between the pure Al₂O₃- and pure TiO₂-based catalysts is relatively small and dependent on the H₂ pressure used. Such differences in activity trend among the gasoil and the thiophene tests are due to a different sensitivity of the catalysts (by different support or promoter) to the experimental conditions used. The results of the effect of the H₂ partial pressure on the thiophene HDS, and on the effect of H₂S concentration on gasoil HDS demonstrate the importance of these parameters, in addition to the nature of the reactant, to perform an adequate catalyst ranking.     

Catalytic performance of a novel ceramic-supported vanadium oxide catalyst for NO reduction with NH3

A novel TiO₂/Al₂O₃/cordierite honeycomb-supported V₂O₅–MoO₃–WO₃ monolithic catalyst was studied for the selective reduction of NO with NH₃. The effects of reaction temperature, space velocity, NH₃/NO ratio and oxygen content on SCR activity were evaluated. Two other V₂O₅–MoO₃–WO₃ monolithic catalysts supported on Al₂O₃/cordierite honeycomb or TiO₂/cordierite honeycomb support, two types of pellet catalysts supported on TiO₂/Al₂O₃ or Al₂O₃, as well as three types of pellet catalysts V₂O₅–MoO₃–WO₃–Al₂O₃ and V₂O₅–MoO₃–WO₃–TiO₂ were tested for comparison. The experiment results show that this catalyst has a higher catalytic activity for SCR with comparison to others. The results of characterization show, the preparation method of this catalyst can give rise to a higher BET surface area and pore volume, which is strongly related with the highly active performance of this catalyst. At the same time, the function of the combined carrier of TiO₂/Al₂O₃ cannot be excluded.     

Catalytic hydrotreatment on alumina–titania supported NiMo sulphides

MoNi/Al₂O₃ catalysts have been widely used for hydrodesulphurisation of oil fractions. In order to enhance the catalytic activities for HDS and HDN, catalysts supported on titania-modified alumina carriers have been studied. The MoNi/Al₂O₃–TiO₂catalysts were characterised by benzene sorption, ammonia sorption, temperature programmed reduction, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The supports effect was examined by comparing thiophene conversion and sulphur or nitrogen contents in diesel oil fraction.     

Maya crude hydrodemetallization and hydrodesulfurization catalysts: An effect of TiO2 incorporation in Al2O3

Hydrotreating of Maya heavy crude oil over high specific surface area CoMo/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ oxide supported catalysts was studied in an integral reactor close to industrial practice. Activity studies were carried out with Maya crude hydrodesulfurization (HDS), hydrodemetallization (HDM), hydrodenitrogenation (HDN), and hydrodeasphaltenization (HDAs) reactions. The effect of support composition, the method of TiO₂ incorporation, and the catalyst deactivation are examined. Supported catalysts are characterized by BET specific surface area (SSA), pore volume (PV), pore size distribution (PSD), and atomic absorption. It has been found that sulfided catalysts showed a wide range of activity variation with TiO₂ incorporation into the alumina, which confirmed that molybdenum sulfided active phases strongly depend on the nature of support. The pore diameter and nature of the active site for HDS, HDM, HDN, and HDAs account for the influence of the large reactant molecules restricted diffusion into the pore, and/or the decrease in the number of active sites due to the MoS₂ phases buried with time-on-stream. The textural properties and hysteresis loop area of supported and spent catalysts indicated that catalysts were deactivated at the pore mouth due to the metal and carbon depositions. The atomic absorption results agreed well regarding the textural properties of spent catalysts. Thus, incorporation of TiO₂ with γ-Al₂O₃ alters the nature of active metal interaction with support, which may facilitate the dispersion of active phases on the support surface. Therefore, the TiO₂ counterpart plays a promoting role to HDS activity due to the favorable morphology of MoS₂ phases and metal support interaction.     

Improvement of catalytic activity and sulfur-resistance of Ag/TiO2–Al2O3 for NO reduction with propene under lean burn conditions

Ag-based catalysts supported on various metal oxides, Al₂O₃, TiO₂, and TiO₂–Al₂O₃, were prepared by the sol–gel method. The effect of SO₂ on catalytic activity was investigated for NO reduction with propene under lean burn condition. The results showed the catalytic activities were greatly enhanced on Ag/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ in comparison to Ag/Al₂O₃ and Ag/TiO₂, especially in the low temperature region. Application of different characterization techniques revealed that the activity enhancement was correlated with the properties of the support material. Silver was highly dispersed over the amorphous system of TiO₂–Al₂O₃. NO₃⁻ rather than NO₂⁻ or NOx reacted with the carboxylate species to form CN or NCO. NO₂ was the predominant desorption species in the temperature programmed desorption (TPD) of NO on Ag/TiO₂–Al₂O₃. More amount of formate (HCOO⁻) and CN were generated on the Ag/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ catalyst than the Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst, due to an increased number of Lewis acid sites. Sulfate species, resulted from SO₂ oxidation, played dual roles on catalytic activity. On aged samples, the slow decomposition of accumulated sulfate species on catalyst surface led to poor NO conversion due to the blockage of these species on active sites. On the other hand, catalytic activity was greatly enhanced in the low temperature region because of the enhanced intensity of Lewis acid site caused by the adsorbed sulfate species. The rate of sulfate accumulation on the Ag/TiO₂–Al₂O₃ system was relatively slow. As a consequence, the system showed superior capability for selective adsorption of NO and SO₂ toleration to the Ag/Al₂O₃ catalyst.     

Oxidative degradation properties of Co-based catalysts in the presence of ozone

Four series of cobalt-based catalysts, such as bare Co₃O₄ and CoO, CoO_x–CeO₂ mixed oxides, CoO_x supported over alumina and alumina–baria and CoMgAl and CoNiAl hydrotalcites have been synthesized and investigated for the oxidative degradation of phenol in the presence of ozone. Characterizations were obtained by several techniques in order to investigate the nature of cobalt species and their morphological properties, depending on the system. Analyses by XRD, BET, TPR, UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and TG/DT were performed.

The CoNiAl hydrotalcite exhibits, after 4 h of reaction, the highest phenol ozonation activity followed by Co(3 wt%)/Al₂O₃–BaO and CoMgAl. The samples Co(1 wt%)/Al₂O₃–BaO and Co(1 and 3 wt%)/Al₂O₃ show a comparable medium activity, while the oxidation properties of bare oxides Co₃O₄, CoO and CoO_x–CeO₂ are really low. Leaching of cobalt ions in the water solution was detected during the reaction, the amount varied depending on the nature of catalysts. A massive release was observed for the CoMgAl and CoNiAl hydrotalcites, while cobalt catalysts over alumina and alumina–baria look much more stable. The recycle of CoO_x/Al₂O₃ and CoO_x/Al₂O₃–BaO was studied by performing three consecutive cycles in the phenol oxidation. Because of the potential interest of the cobalt-supported catalysts in the ozonation process, the oxidative degradation of naphtol blue black was also investigated.

On the basis of TPR and UV–visible results it appears that highly dispersed Co²⁺ ions especially present over Co(3 wt%)/Al₂O₃–BaO are the main active sites for phenol and naphtol blue black oxidative degradation by ozone.     

Catalytic removal of perchloroethylene (PCE) over supported chromium oxide catalysts

The oxidation of perchloroethylene (PCE) was investigated over chromium oxide catalysts supported on SiO₂, SiO₂–Al₂O₃, activated carbon, mordenite type zeolites, MgO, TiO₂ and Al₂O₃. Supported chromium oxide catalysts were more active than any other metal oxide catalysts including noble metal examined in the present study. PCE removal activity of chromium oxide catalysts mainly depended on the type of supports and the content of metal loaded on the catalyst surface. TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ containing high surface areas were effective for the high performance of PCE removal, since the formation of well dispersed Cr(VI) active reaction sites for the present reaction system, was enhanced even for the high Cr loading on the catalyst surface. CrO_x catalysts supported on TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ also exhibited stable PCE removal activity at a low feed concentration of PCE of 30 ppm up to 100 h at 350°C. However, significant catalyst deactivation was observed at high PCE concentration of 10 000 ppm. CrO_x/TiO₂ revealed stronger water tolerance than CrO_x/Al₂O₃ due to the surface hydrophobicity.     

Mixed oxide supported hydrodesulfurization catalysts—a review

Support effects form important aspect of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) studies and mixed oxide supports received maximum attention in the last two decades. This review will focus attention on studies on mixed oxide supported Mo and W catalysts. For convenience of discussion, these are divided into Al₂O₃ containing mixed oxide supports, TiO₂ containing mixed oxide supports, ZrO₂ containing mixed oxide supports and other mixed oxide supports containing all the rest. TiO₂ containing mixed oxides received maximum attention, especially TiO₂–Al₂O₃ supported catalysts. A brief discussion about their prospects for application to ultradeep desulfurization is also included. An overview of the available literature with emphasis on research carried out in our laboratory form the contents of this publication.     

Ti-modified alumina supports prepared by sol–gel method used for deep HDS catalysts

The typical physico-chemical properties and their hydrodesulfurization activities of NiMo/TiO₂-Al₂O₃ series catalysts with different TiO₂ loadings were studied. The catalysts were evaluated with a blend of two kinds of commercially available diesels in a micro-reactor unit. Many techniques including N₂-adsorption, UV–vis DRS, XRD, FT-Raman, TPR, pyridine FT-IR and DRIFT were used to characterize the surface and structural properties of TiO₂-Al₂O₃ binary oxide supports and the NiMo/TiO₂-Al₂O₃ catalysts. The samples prepared by sol–gel method possessed large specific surface areas, pore volumes and large average pore sizes that were suitable for the high dispersion of nickel and molybdenum active components. UV–vis DRS, XRD and FT-Raman results indicated that the presence of anatase TiO₂ species facilitated the formation of coordinatively unsaturated sites (CUS) or sulfur vacancies, and also promoted high dispersion of Mo active phase on the catalyst surfaces. DRIFT spectra of NO adsorbed on the pure MoS₂ and the catalysts with TiO₂ loadings of 15 and 30% showed that NiMo/TiO₂-Al₂O₃ catalysts possessed more CUS than that of pure MoS₂. HDS efficiencies and the above characterization results confirmed that the incorporation of TiO₂ into Al₂O₃ could adjust the interaction between support and active metals, enhanced the reducibility of molybdenum and thus resulted in the high activity of HDS reaction.     

Ultrahigh temperature water gas shift catalysts to increase hydrogen yield from biomass gasification

Noble metal (Rh, Pt, Pd, Ir, Ru, and Ag) and Ni catalysts supported on CeO₂–Al₂O₃ were investigated for water gas shift reaction at ultrahigh temperatures. Pt/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ and Ru/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ demonstrated as the best catalysts in terms of activity, hydrogen yield and hydrogen selectivity. At 700 °C and steam to CO ratio of 5.2:1, Pt/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ converted 76.3% of CO with 94.7% of hydrogen selectivity. At the same conditions, the activity and hydrogen selectivity for Ru/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ were 63.9% and 85.6%, respectively. Both catalysts showed a good stability over 9 h of continuous operation. However, both catalysts showed slight deactivation during the test period. The study revealed that Pt/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ and Ru/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ were excellent ultrahigh temperature water gas shift catalysts, which can be coupled with biomass gasification in a downstream reactor.     

Role of CeO2 in Ni/CeO2–Al2O3 catalysts for carbon dioxide reforming of methane

Ni catalysts supported on γ-Al₂O₃, CeO₂ and CeO₂–Al₂O₃ systems were tested for catalytic CO₂ reforming of methane into synthesis gas. Ni/CeO₂–Al₂O₃ catalysts showed much better catalytic performance than either CeO₂- or γ-Al₂O₃-supported Ni catalysts. CeO₂ as a support for Ni catalysts produced a strong metal–support interaction (SMSI), which reduced the catalytic activity and carbon deposition. However, CeO₂ had positive effect on catalytic activity, stability, and carbon suppression when used as a promoter in Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts for this reaction. A weight loading of 1–5 wt% CeO₂ was found to be the optimum. Ni catalysts with CeO₂ promoters reduced the chemical interaction between nickel and support, resulting in an increase in reducibility and stronger dispersion of nickel. The stability and less coking on CeO₂-promoted catalysts are attributed to the oxidative properties of CeO₂.     

Support Effects on Thiophene Hydrodesulfurization over Co-Mo-Ni/Al2O3 and Co-Mo-Ni/TiO2-Al2O3 Catalysts

A carbon-based sulfonated catalyst was prepared by direct sulfonation and carbonization （in moderate conditions：200 ＆#176;C, 12 h） of red liquor solids, a by-product of paper-making process. The prepared sulfonated cata-lyst （SC） had aromatic structure, composed of carbon enriched inner core, and oxygen-containing （SO3H, COOH, OH） groups enriched surface. The SO3H, COOH, OH groups amounted to 0.74 mmol·g^-1, 0.78 mmol·g^-1, 2.18 mmol·g^-1, respectively. The fresh SC showed much higher catalytic activity than that of the traditional solid acid catalysts （strong-acid 732 cation exchange resin, hydrogen type zeolite socony mobile-five （HZSM-5）, sulfated zir-conia） in esterification of oleic acid. SC was deactivated during the reactions, through the mechanisms of leaching of sulfonated species and formation of sulfonate esters. Two regeneration methods were developed, and the catalytic activity can be mostly regenerated by regeneration Method 1 and be fully regenerated by regeneration Method 2, respectively.     

Toughening alumina with silver and zirconia inclusions

Both silver and zirconia inclusions are added into an alumina matrix, the strength and toughness of the composites are determined. The toughening agents prohibit the grain growth of the matrix, the strength of alumina is, therefore, enhanced. The addition of two toughening agents also enhances the toughness of alumina. The presence of Ag inclusions raises the transformation ability of ZrO₂; however, the toughness increase of the Al₂O₃–ZrO₂–Ag composites is slightly lower than the sum of the toughness increase of Al₂O₃–ZrO₂ and of Al₂O₃–Ag composites. The present study demonstrates that the toughening effects contributed by a transformation toughening agent and a ductile toughening agent can interact with each other; nevertheless, such interaction depends strongly on the microstructure of the composites.