Competitive hydrodesulfurization and hydrogenation in a monolithic reactor

Competitive liquid‐phase hydrodesulfurization of thiophene and hydrogenation of cyclohexene on a monolithic CoMo/γ‐Al2O3 catalyst were studied. The flow pattern in the monolithic catalyst reactor was segmented gas‐liquid flow (slug flow). The hydrogen pressure and the temperature were varied between 30–40 bar and 509–523 K, respectively. The experimental data are consistent with rate expressions of the Langmuir‐Hinshelwood type where the reactions proceed on two different types of active sites. This kinetic model is based on hydrogenation of the thiophene ring prior to sulfur elimination.