Genesis and activity of mo-based hydrotreating catalysts prepared by a sol-gel method

Molybdenum oxide-alumina catalysts used in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) with a wide range of Mo loadings (1–25% Mo) were prepared by the sol-gel process. Two different methods of adding the molybdenum oxide precursor to the support were used.In the first route, alumina is prepared by hydrolysis of aluminium tri sec-butylate in butanol and butanediol, and molybdenum is deposited by a classical dry impregnation with ammonium heptamolybdate (AHM). In the second route, the molybdenum oxospecies are dispersed in butanediol and added to the aluminium alkoxide before hydrolysis. The solids were calcined to obtain the oxide precursors which are then sulfided to give the active phase in hydrodesulfurization.The effect of preparation on the structural properties of alumina as well as on the state and dispersion of molybdenum in the dried, calcined and sulfided form was studied by various characterization techniques (XRD, XPS, Raman spectroscopy). Molybdenum appears to be present as well dispersed oxomolybdenum species in the oxide form even at high loadings. This good dispersion of molybdenum is preserved after sulfidation which induces the formation of MoS₂ crystallites whose morphology has been determined by HREM.The catalyst activities were evaluated in thiophene hydrodesulfurization and compared with that of catalysts prepared by dry impregnation of a commercial alumina. The observed performances are in agreement with the good dispersion of molybdenum at high loadings we were able to obtain owing to the sol-gel process.