Thiophene cracking on zinc modified beta zeolite

Abstract

One option for reducing the sulphur content in gasoline is the reduction in the FCC process using specific additives. In this context, the cracking of a hexane stream containing 100 ppm thiophene was used to test Beta zeolite modified with zinc at different contents. It was confirmed that hydrogen transfer during n-hexane cracking promoted the reduction of thiophene, with H2S formation. However, increasing Zn content in the catalyst from 2 to 8% (m/m) led to a higher formation of alkyl-thiophene compounds rather than H2S formation. The most selective catalyst for H2S formation was Zn/BEA (2%), with a selectivity to H2S of 95.5% at 773 K.