ANALYSIS OF ORGANIC SULFUR VIA CATALYTIC HYDRODESULFURIZATION

Three types of hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts, namely; CoMo/Al2O 3, NiMo/Al2O3 and NiW/Al2O3 with various contents of group VI (Mo and W) and group VIII (Co and Ni) oxides, but with a fixed ratio of 4:1, r espectively, were prepared via impregnating gamma-Al2O3 pellets with s olutions containing cobalt or nickel initiate and ammonium molybdate o r tungstate. After drying and calcination,the catalysts were then sulf ided in situ in the reactor. Two refractory sulfur compounds, namely; benzthiophene and dibenzthiophene, were tested for HDS on the prepared catalysts, hoping to reach complete HDS. Fortunately, some catalyst p reparations reached quantitative transformation of the thiophenic comp ounds under study to H2S at a temperature of 450 degrees C in a H-2 no w of 20 cm(3) min(-1).