Reactive Adsorption Desulfurization of Olefin-Containing Feedstocks over Ni/ZnO–Al2O3 Adsorbents: Effects of ZnO–Al2O3 Support Composition

Several adsorption-catalytic systems have been synthesized, which are different by the composition and method of the support preparation. The composition and physicochemical characteristics of the synthesized composites were studied using nitrogen porosimetry, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The desulfurization depth and the hydrodesulfurization selectivity concerning the hydrogenation reaction (HDS/HYD selective factor) were evaluated in the reactive adsorption of model FCC gasoline containing thiophene (2630 ppm) and hexene-1 (20 wt %) on a fixed-bed flow unit. It has been established that a desulfurization depth of >99% at the chemisorption stage is achieved at a temperature of 400°C, a pressure of 0.5 MPa, and a WHSV of 5.2 h–1 on a Ni/ZnO@Al2O3 adsorption-catalytic system synthesized by coprecipitation and subsequent incipient wetness impregnation. For Ni/(ZnO)Al2O3 adsorption-catalytic systems, it was shown that an increase in the Ni particles’ average size leads to an increase in HDS/HYD selectivity at the chemisorption stage.