Reactivity of olefins in the hydrodesulfurization of FCC gasoline over CoMo sulfide catalyst

To achieve selective hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of fluid catalytic-cracked (FCC) gasoline for producing sulfur-free gasoline (S < 10 ppm), the reactivity of various olefins contained in FCC gasoline on CoMoP/Al₂O₃ sulfide catalysts was investigated. Isomerization of the CC double bond from the terminal position to an internal position was observed. The steric hindrance around the CC double bond suppresses the reactivity of olefin hydrogenation. The sulfidation temperature of the catalyst has a major influence on olefin hydrogenation active sites. Addition of the appropriate amount of cobalt (Co/Mo ratio approximately 0.6) contributes to the suppression of olefin hydrogenation at high reaction temperature (260 °C). From the comparison of catalytic performance and characterization of our CoMoP/Al₂O₃ catalyst with an analogous commercial catalyst, it is suggested that the hydrogenation of olefins depends not only on the state of the Mo CUS but also on the steric effects of both olefin structure and MoS₂ crystalline structure.