Sulfidation of carbon-supported iron-molybdemum oxide catalysts

Carbon-supported iron-molybdenum sulphide catalysts were characterized by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy at temperatures down to 4.2 K. Thiophene hydrodesulphurization (HDS) activity measurements were performed at 673 K in a flow microreactor operating at atmospheric pressure. The molybdenum content was 9.5 wt.-% whereas the iron content varied from 0.6 to 9.0 wt.-%. Sequential deposition (Molybdenum first) by pore-volume impregnation was employed to prepare oxidic catalyst precursors. The oxidic catalyst precursors were dried at 293 K in an air flow, followed by an additional hydrogen treatment up to 393 K. The type and relative particle sizes of the iron compounds present in the oxidic precursors and in the sulphided and reoxidized catalysts were determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy. It was demonstrated that after sulphidation for 4 h at 623 K, the composition of the sulphide catalyst depends on the iron content. Sulphided Fe-Mo/C catalysts contain a mixed "FeMoS" phase and "Fe-sulphide". The former is responsible for the observed promoting effect toward thiophene HDS. From the temperature dependence of the resonant absorption areas, it was concluded that the iron atoms in the "FeMoS" phase are located at the surface of MoS2 microcrystals. The amount of "Fe-sulphide" present in the catalyst was found to increase with increasing iron content. This "Fe-sulphide" might partly cover the "FeMoS" phase, thus causing a decrease in the promoting effect