SBIR Phase I: Non-Conventional Processing of Highly Active Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段研究项目将研究一种新的合成方法，以生产高活性的过渡金属磷化物加氢脱硫(HDS)催化剂，以将运输燃料中的硫含量降低到环境立法规定的水平。最近发现过渡金属磷化物对HDS具有很高的活性。然而，在氧化物载体上合成过渡金属磷化物的困难阻碍了它们充分发挥潜力。传统的合成方法加热时间长，温度高，会导致磷与载体的相互作用和磷的挥发，从而降低催化剂的活性。第一阶段研究将采用非常规方法合成氧化物负载的过渡金属磷光催化剂。该技术利用了一种选择性和快速的加热方法，避免了传统的热加热问题。用X射线衍射仪(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱(ICPAES)、氧(O2)化学吸附和BET比表面积分析对催化剂进行了表征。用DBT和4，6-DMDBT加氢脱硫对新型氧化物负载过渡金属磷化物催化剂的加氢脱硫活性、稳定性和选择性进行了评价。结果将与传统合成方法制备的催化剂进行比较。能够生产超清洁运输燃料的新型HDS催化剂存在商业机会。世界范围内正在实施的降低运输燃料中硫含量的环境法规(S)，以及化石燃料原料质量的下降，将为炼油厂寻找替代催化剂材料提供巨大的动力。在第一阶段、第二阶段和第三阶段之后，该项目的预期结果是可以在商业上获得一种高活性的加氢脱硫催化剂，该催化剂可以生产S含量低于10ppm的超低硫燃料，满足当前和未来运输燃料的排放要求。使用新型加氢脱硫催化剂生产的超低S碳氢燃料，也可用于燃料加工商生产质子交换膜燃料电池用氢燃料。这项研究将导致开发一种新的加氢脱硫催化剂，以减少运输燃料产生的污染。它将为交通运输和燃料电池应用的高效、清洁燃烧能源的进步做出重要贡献。这项研究的结果也将为科学界，特别是多相催化领域的科学界提供重大好处，因为它将使人们更好地了解催化剂制备方法对其化学和催化性能的影响。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will investigate a new synthesis method to produce highly active transition metal phosphide hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts to reduce sulfur content in transportation fuels to the levels set by environmental legislation. Transition metal phosphides were recently discovered to be highly active towards HDS. However, difficulties involved with the synthesis of transition metal phosphides on oxide supports has prevented them from achieving their full potentials. The long heating times and high temperatures employed for conventional synthesis methods causes phosphorus-support interactions and phosphorus volatilization, which lowers the activity of the catalysts. Phase I research will address the synthesis of oxide supported transition metal phopshide catalysts using a nonconventional method. The proposed technique utilizes a selective and fast heating method that avoids the problems of conventional thermal heating. The catalysts will be characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emissions spectroscopy (ICP-AES), oxygen (O2) chemisorption, and BET surface area analysis. The HDS activities, stabilities, and selectivities of the new oxide supported transition metal phosphide catalysts will be evaluated using DBT and 4,6-DMDBT HDS. The results will be compared to catalysts prepared using conventional synthesis methods.Commercial opportunities exist for new HDS catalysts capable of producing ultra-clean transportation fuels. Environmental regulations being implemented world-wide to reduce the sulfur (S) content in transportation fuels, along with the declining quality of fossil fuel feedstocks, will provide substantial motivation for the refineries to seek alternative catalyst materials. The anticipated result for this project, following Phases I, II, and III, is the commercial availability of a highly active hydrodesulfurization catalyst that can produce ultra-low level sulfur fuels, with less than 10 ppm S, that meet current and future emission requirements for transportation fuels. The ultra-low S hydrocarbon fuels, produced using the new HDS catalyst, could also be used in fuel processors to produce hydrogen fuel for PEM fuel cell applications.This research would lead to the development of a new catalyst for HDS, to reduce the impact of pollution generated from transportation fuels. It will make an important contribution to advancements in efficient, clean-burning energy sources for transportation and fuel cell applications. The results of this research will also provide significant benefits to the scientific community, especially those in the area of heterogeneous catalysis, as it will lead to a betterunderstanding of the effects of catalyst preparation methods on their chemical and catalytic properties.