Task 4.7 - diesel fuel desulfurization. Semi-annual report, July 1, 1995--December 31, 1995

Reductions in the maximum permissible sulfur content of diesel fuel to less than 0.05 wt% will require deep desulfurization to meet these standards. In some refineries, a new hydrogenation catalyst may be required for diesel fuel production. The work very briefly described in this document is on the use of hydrotalcite-supported molybdenum sulfide in the catalysis of ethanol. The catalyst reaction was highly selective for 1-butanol, providing a very clean reaction. Since the catalysis contains the MoS{sub 2} needed for the dehydrogenation and hydrogenation steps, the reaction can be performed at lower temperatures and higher selectivity. The catalyst was very stable and not destroyed by the water produced in the reaction