Transition metal sulfides on zeolite catalysts for selective ring opening

International audienceBifunctional catalysis combining acidic catalysts and sulfide active phases is usually related to hydrocracking catalysts which balances the hydrogenation function of a NiMo (NiW) alumina supported sulfide catalysts and the acidic function of a zeolite. The discovery of sulfur-resistant catalysts for selective ring opening (SRO) is an important challenge for refiners, considering the future legislation on cetane index of diesel fuels. In the present work, we studied the properties of various transition metal sulfides (TMS) supported on Y zeolite in gas-phase decalin hydroconversion at high hydrogen pressure (5 MPa) in the presence of 0.8% H2S concentration. This screening shows high activities for noble metal based sulfides with a mechanism which proceeds by skeletal isomerization induced by the zeolite. Catalytic activity was improved by the use of ternary sulfides such as Ni1-xRuxS2 or NiRh2S4 on Y zeolites. High decalin conversion levels can be reached below 250°C with more of 20% of ring opening products and thanks to the use of comprehensive GC, a detailed mechanism of the SRO of decalin is given