The ZrO2-r-Al2O3 composite was developed and co-modified with nickel, lanthanum and indium species by the impregnation method. A fixed-bed reactor was utilized to investigate the activity of the resulting catalysts in the removal of sulfides and benzene in fluid catalytic cracking gasoline. The resultant samples were characterized using XRD, TEM, XPS, TGA, H2-TPR, NH3-TPD and N2 adsorption/desorption techniques. XRD analysis indicated no agglomeration of Ni and La species, in good agreement with the TEM image. Only under the suitable conditions of a metal loading of 15%, a reaction temperature of 423K, a reaction time of 60min, a space velocity of 3h-1, and a reaction pressure of 1MPa, could the desulfurization ratio, the debenzolization ratio, and selectivity of benzene to dimethylbutane and toluene reach 100%, 19.9%, 48.9% and 50.9%, respectively, and research octane number of the product increased by 2 units and sulfur content reached "Zero". The catalyst was actively involved in the in-situ hydrogenation under mild conditions and used for 30h with no loss in activity. This remarkable behavior makes the NiLaIn/ZrO2-r-Al2O3 family a potential candidate for industrial application as catalysts in the clean fuel.
Keywords: Debenzolization; Desulfurization; Dimethylbutane; In-situ hydrogenation; Toluene.
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