SBIR Phase II: Advanced Hydrodesulfurization Catalysts

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is in removing sulfur compounds from various fuels such as diesel, gasoline and mixture of refined fuels known as transmix. It is critically important to reduce sulfur levels below 10 ppm as the emissions from transportation vehicles can cause acid rain and associated undesired effects. Sulfur removal from fuels is even more critical for implementation of fuel cell technologies due to fuel reformer catalyst poisoning at sulfur levels as low as 1 ppm or below. Finally, there is a need for sulfur-tolerant catalysts and sulfur removal processes in value added chemical production using bio-derived and fossil derived fuels. The global market for hydro-desulfurization catalysts in the transportation fuel segment is estimated at over $1B and growing fast. The company's proposed catalyst could address a market size of $150-200M/yr or more. It may find additional applications in commercial markets in ultra-low sulfur diesel, fuel reformer technology and sulfur tolerant catalysts. The development of a scalable manufacturing method for advanced materials undertaken in this project will contribute to U.S. competitiveness and strengthen Cleantech and energy sectors in the state of KY. This project addresses the development of high performance catalysts needed for the removal of sulfur from hydrocarbon fuels. However, sulfur removal at concentrations below 50 ppm is difficult due to the presence of hetero-cyclic thiophenic species. During Phase I, the company developed a catalyst product and demonstrated its performance in terms of ultra-deep hydrodesulfurization activity, reducing sulfur levels from 200 ppm to much lower than 1 ppm in a variety of fuels. Phase II studies will allow optimization of the catalysts for hydrodesulfurization activity and mechanical properties. Catalysts with bi-functional activity toward aromatics hydrogenation and hydrodesulfurization will reduce several process steps, thereby reducing the costs involved in hydroprocessing of fuels. Phase II studies will enable development of a process for scalable production of nanowires. The fundamental insight from the performance can be extended toward designing various high performance catalysts using nanowire supports. Some beneficial effects using nanowire supports include unique active metal/support interactions; single crystal surfaces for uniform morphologies for active metals and their alloys and management of active sites. Specifically, in the case of hydrodesulfurization, nanowire supports provided an easier diffusion pathway for sulfur transfer to maintain active metal sites for desulfurization activity.