Carbon-supported iron sulfide catalysts

Carbon- supported iron sulfide catalysts were characterized by means of thiophene hydrodesulfurization and butene hydrogenation activity measurements in a flow micro reactor, operating at atmospheric pressure. The iron content was varied from 0.03 - 1.9 Fe atoms per nm support surface area (0.3- 17.7 wt%Fe). Oxidic catalyst precursor systems were dried either at 293K, or at 293K and subsequently at 383K. Dispersion of the oxidic iron phase present in the dried catalyst precursors and in the reoxidized sulfided catalysts was determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy , while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used for characterization of oxidic and sulfided catalysts. carbon- supported iron sulfide than alumina-supported ones. They deactivation than carbon-supported better hydrogenation catalysts. catalysts had a much higher HDS activity were also more active and less sensitive molybdenum sulfide catalysts, which were to the Drying of oxidic iron catalyst precursors at 383K caused a significant sintering and a lower catalytic activity. Sintering was also observed to occur during catalyst presulfiding. The extent of sintering appeared to increase with surface loading . The oxidic iron phase of the freshly prepared catalyst precursors dried at 293K consisted mainly of small iron(III)oxide particles