PNNL

Abstract

NiY zeolites with different Ni loadings were synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation and liquid phase ion-exchange methods using NH4Y and KY zeolites. These Ni-containing Y zeolites were tested as adsorbents for removing organic sulfur compounds from a model jet fuel containing 510 ppmw sulfur and a real JP-8 jet fuel containing 380 ppmw sulfur under ambient conditions either without reduction or after reduction around 600oC. At the adsorption temperature of 80oC, the NiY zeolite containing 30 wt % Ni synthesized by incipient wetness impregnation of NH4Y zeolite was able to clean only about 10 ml of a model jet fuel per g of the adsorbent to produce a desulfurized fuel containing below 1 ppmw sulfur. Under the same experimental conditions, the NiY zeolite prepared using KY zeolite cleaned about 30 ml of the fuel per g of the adsorbent. Better sulfur adsorption performance was observed when the NiY zeolites were synthesized by ion-exchange, and reduced before sulfur adsorption. The reducibility and surface properties of some of the selected NiY zeolites were investigated by temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) and in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). TPR studies indicated that the reducibility of NiY-zeolite was improved when K was present as a co-cation. The in-situ XPS studies of unreduced and reduced samples revealed that presence of K as co-cation in the zeolite matrix helps Ni dispersion at the surface. The promotional effect of K on the sulfur adsorption performance of NiY zeolites was therefore attributed to improved reducibility and surface dispersion of Ni when K was present as a co-cation.