TRAINING COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT - 2019

IFPEN – Catalysis, Biocatalysis and Separation Division

Subject
Adsorption and Reaction of Sulfur and Arsenic compounds on different Trapping Masses.

Supervisors
Michel THOMAS : michel.thomas@ifpen.fr (04 37 70 28 44)
Antoine HUGON : antoine.hugon@ifpen.fr (04 37 70 22 75)

Project context
Catalytic hydrodesulfurization process of gasoline allows to decrease the sulfur content down to the
maximum limit (10 ppm «S»). Unfortunately, some of these feeds can also contain organo-arsenic
compounds, at trace levels (10-100 ppb), which can be poisons for these catalysts.
The aim of this work is to study the difference in reactivity of sulfur and arsenic compounds on different
trapping masses.

Project description
This work can be described as follow :
- Bibliography : state of the art, dry impregnation of porous solids, solids performances evaluation
- Solids synthesis and characterization : it will first consist in the deposition of different transition metals
salts (such as Ni, Co, Mo, associated or not, possibly with other elements.) on mesoporous aluminas by
the «dry impregnation» method, and then to characterize these solids by classical technics (nitrogen
adsorption at 77K, XRD, etc.)
- Solids evaluation : the solids efficiency will be measured by tests in batch mode (static), by using a
model feed representative of a gasoline containing a sulfur (methyl-thiophene) and an arsenic compound
(triethylarsine or triphenylarsine), with a periodical analysis of the effluent by gas chromatography, in order
to follow the decrease in concentration of both sulfur and arsenic compounds versus time, and with the
detailed characterization of the solid after reaction (XRD, FX, etc.).
- Interpretation : determination of the kinetics constant of several reactions (arsenic removal and
hydrodesulfurization), and relation with parameters such as nature, amount and dispersion of the metal(s),
specific surface area, temperature and hydrogen pressure, feed composition, etc.
- Final manuscript redaction and oral presentation
The student will be associated within a team (engineers, Ph.D student, technicians) involved in this study.

Desired profile
Ability in chemistry, materials synthesis, methods of physicochemical characterization, science of
materials, catalysis, …

Required education
Master degree (chemistry)

Additional informations
Duration : 5 - 6 months Period : March – > August 2019
Location : IFPEN Lyon in Solaize (20 km in south of Lyon)
Transportation : personal car or public transportation (shuttle)
Remuneration : around 900 €/months
Application : thank you for sending your CV and cover letter to the aforementioned supervisors