Role of Supports in Ni Nanoparticles Ti-Promoted Composite Catalysts for the Total Hydrogenation of Benzene

Removal of aromatic compounds from fuels due to the strict regulations as well as carcinogenic and detrimental effects on the humans and the environment is one of the main steps in the petrochemical industry. Competitive hydrogenation of benzene in aromatic mixtures not only achieves this goal, but also prevents the significant reduction in the octane number by producing cyclohexane in the fuels. For this purpose, a series of nickel catalysts supported on the Ti-promoted mesoporous-carbon composites have been prepared by the wet impregnation method. Textural and physicochemical properties of catalysts were characterized using FT-IR, N 2 adsorption-desorption, XRD, SEM, and EDAX. The activity of the powders was evaluated in the temperature range of 150–210°C. The results confirm that the Ni/Ti-SBA-15 catalyst shows the acceptable selectivity in the test temperature range and the highest activity at 190°C.