Kinetic behavior of benzene hydrogenation and thiophene hydrogenolysis on sulfide Ni-Mo/Al2O3 catalyst

Summary An unsteady-state kinetic model of both benzene hydrogenation (HDA) and thiophene hydrogenolysis (HDS) on a sulfide hydrotreating catalyst Ni-Mo/Al₂O₃ has been developed. The model adequately describes experimental data obtained at the pressure 2 MPa, temperature 573 K and at various contact times and ratios of benzene/thiophene. The model is based on the assumption that the catalyst surface contains only one type of active sites, i.e., Ni atoms in the sulfide bimetallic species, which are responsible for both hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation reactions.