Flower-like nickel phosphide catalyst for petroleum resin hydrogenation with enhanced catalytic activity, hydrodesulfurization ability and stability

The catalytic hydrogenation of petroleum resin (PR) to high value-added hydrogenated PR (HPR) represents a forward-looking technology for upgrading the pyrolysis petroleum by-product. Herein, flower-like and pure-phase supported nickel phosphide catalysts were controllably fabricated through a hydrotalcite strategy with red phosphorous as the P source. The PR hydrogenation activity of the cat-alysts followed the order of Ni2P/Al2O3 > NiP2/Al2O3 > Ni/Al2O3 > imp-Ni2P/Al2O3 catalysts (prepared by the impregnation method). Such enhanced performance of Ni2P/Al2O3 could be ascribed to small nickel phosphide particle size and rich active Nis+ species. Notably, the sulfur contents of PR were effectively reduced from 55.4 (C5PR) and 72.3 ppm (C9PR) to 3.8 and 7.9 ppm after hydrogenation by Ni2P/Al2O3. Meanwhile, Ni2P/Al2O3 also exhibited good stability with the hydrogenation degree of HC5PR maintaining at 94.39 % after 100 h. Our work provides a promising nickel phosphide catalyst with outstanding hydrogenation activity, hydrodesulfurization ability, and stability toward PR hydrogenation. CO 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, flower-like and pure-phase supported nickel phosphide catalysts were successfully fabricated through a hydrotalcite strategy with red phosphorus as the phosphorus source. The Ni2P/Al2O3 catalyst exhibited excellent hydrogenation activity, hydrodesulfurization ability, and stability towards the hydrogenation of petroleum resin.