Hydroconversion of Aromatic Hydrocarbons over Bimetallic Catalysts

Bimetallic catalysts (BMC) for hydroconversion of aromatic hydrocarbons (ArH) have been designed by modification of Ni/Al2O3 with chromium(0) compounds and phosphoromolybdic heteropolyacid (HPA). Catalysts were tested in hydrogenation of benzene and toluene, in hydrodemethylation of pure toluene and they were shown to possess a high activity, selectivity and sulfur tolerance under conditions of the processes above. The activity of BMC in these processes was much higher as compared with that of two-component (Ni-Cr, Ni-HPA) or conventional Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. Using BMC, hydrogenation of benzene and toluene proceeds with activity increased (up to 34–38 mol/kg·h) and toluene hydrodemethylation may be performed with improved selectivity (90.3%) and benzene yield (81%). The high sulfur tolerance of BMC was demonstrated by performing hydrodemethylation of toluene containing up to 500 ppm S.