The use of inorganic Al-HMS as a support for NiMoW sulfide HDS catalysts

Abstract Inorganic hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) and aluminum modified HMS materials (Al-HMS) were prepared and used as supports of transition metal sulfide hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts based on nickel, molybdenum, and tungsten as active phase. The samples were characterized with XRD, HRTEM, TPD, N2 physisorption, and UV-Vis. The catalytic activity of the trimetallic catalysts was performed in the HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT). When Al was incorporated into the inorganic support, important changes and effects were observed on the physicochemical properties. On the other hand, the incorporation of Al into the HMS led to a decrease in the reaction rate (k) and a trend toward a direct path of desulfurization was observed for all materials.