Hydrogenation of Tetralin over Ir-Containing Mesoporous Catalysts

A new series of catalysts based on noble metals have been prepared with the main aim of obtaining thiotolerant catalysts to be used in second-stage processes of mild hydrotreating. We studied the catalytic properties of 1 wt % Ir-containing mesoporous materials in the hydrogenation of tetralin to decalin, in the presence of 100 ppm of dibenzotiophene at 250 °C and 15 atm pressure of hydrogen, using a Parr reactor. Ir/mesoporous materials were prepared by wetness impregnation, using iridium acetylacetonate as the source of Ir. The Ir/SBA-3 catalyst synthesized by us had a high activity in tetralin hydrogenation under mild conditions. The experimental data were quantitatively represented by a modified Langmuir–Hinshelwood-type rate equation. The preliminary results reveal that these materials are promising catalyts for HDS/HDN reactions.