Preparation, Characterization, Hydrodesulfurization and Hydrodenitrogenation Activities of Alumina-supported Tungsten Phosphide Catalysts

Two series of WP/Al2O3 catalyst precursors with WP mass loading in the range 18.5%—37.1% were prepared using the impregnation method and mixing method, respectively, and the catalysts were then obtained by temperature-programmed reduction of supported tungsten phosphate (precursor of WP/Al2O3 catatlysts) in H2 at 650℃ for 4h. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, BET, TG/DTA , XPS and 31P MAS-NMR. The activities of these catalysts were tested in the hydrodenitrogenation (HDN) of pyridine and hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of thiophene at 340℃ and 3.0MPa. The results showed that owing to the stronger interaction of the support with the active species, the precursor of WP/Al2O3 catalyst was more difficultly phosphided and a greater amount of W spe- cies was in a high valence state W6+ on the surface of the catalyst prepared by the impregnation method than that by the mixing method. 31P MAS-NMR results indicated that 31P shift from 85% H3PO4 of 2.55×10-4 for WP and 2.57 ×10-4 for WP/γ-Al2O3 catalysts prepared by mixing method. Such WP/Al2O3 catalysts showed higher HDN activi- ties and lower HDS activities than those prepared by the impregnation method under the same loading of WP. WP/γ-Al2O3 catalysts with weak interaction between support and active species were favorable for HDN reaction while the WP/γ-Al2O3 catalysts with strong interaction were favorable for HDS reaction.