Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 sorbent promoted by Zr for the ultra-deep removal of thiophene in simulated coke oven gas

The ultra-deep removal of thiophene from coke oven gas (COG) is critical for the conversion of COG to methane. Currently, Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 is considered as a promising sorbent for thiophene removal; however, its desulfurization performance is currently unable to meet the requirements for industrial applications. Here, a zirconium modification strategy is proposed to overcome this problem, allowing zirconium loaded copper-based sorbents (Cu/ZnO/Al2O3/ZrO2) with significantly improved thiophene removal performance and high activity to be obtained. Characterization results showed that zirconium improved both the dispersion of copper and the concentration of Lewis acid sites on the sorbent surface. A ZrO2 concentration of 2 % resulted in stronger Cu-Zn interaction, and the dispersion of Cu on the surface of the sorbent reached its maximum value (49.20 %). Additionally, the Lewis acid strength was also maximized, which greatly improved the desulfurization activity and resulted in a breakthrough adsorption capacity of thiophene (Qb-thiophene) of 36.24 mg/g, which was about 17 % higher than that of the unmodified Cu/ZnO/Al2O3 sorbent. These results demonstrate that the sulfur capacity of the sorbent can be increased by increasing the number of acidic sites on its surface, paving the way for ultra-deep thiophene removal in industrial applications.