Novel Ru-Based Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts

Melissa Louise Pease
Western Washington University

Regulations to be implemented in the near future will require a reduction of sulfur levels in transportation fuels. As a result, the development of new catalysts for use in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) process is of primary importance. Research in our laboratory has shown that oxide-supported, crystalline metal phosphide materials have high activity for thiophene HDS. In the current study, ruthenium phosphides (Ru2P, RuP and RuP2) have been supported on silica and the materials have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and chemisorption measurements. The thiophene HDS activities of the Ru-based catalysts have been measured in a flow reactor and the properties of these catalysts are compared with those of conventional sulfide catalysts.