Characterization of the surface of hydrodesulphurization catalysts by adsorption of hydrocarbons

Abstract

Reversible adsorption of heptane and benzene on model and industrial hydrodesulphurization molybdena catalysts has been studied by elution chromatographic method at 150 °C. An increase in the adsorption of heptane on sulphidation of adsorbents was small for Al2O3 and great for MoO3. Supported catalysts behaved as mixture of Al2O3 and MoO3.The portion of surface which can be transformed by sulphidation into MoS2 ranged from 0 to 65% for individual commercial catalysts, as determined from the change in heptane adsorption after sulphidation of a given sample. The polarity of catalysts, including their acidity, was estimated from the difference between adsorption of benzene and heptane. The polarity of model and industrial catalysts in oxidic form was similar to that of alumina in most cases. The decrease in the polarity after sulphidation of the adsorbents was small for Al2O3 and great for MoO3. The decrease in polarity resulting from sulphidation of supported catalysts was relatively small, since the reaction of MoO3 monolayer with hydrogen sulphide leads to partial reformation of the alumina surface. The acidity of supported sulphided hydrodesulphurization catalysts has been shown by this method to be comparable with the acidity of the support itself.