Surface characterization of metal oxides-supported activated carbon fiber catalysts for simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide and carbon disulfide.

The sol-gel method was used to synthesize a series of metal oxides-supported activated carbon fiber (ACF) and the simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis activity of carbonyl sulfide (COS) and carbon disulfide (CS) at relatively low temperatures of 60°C was tested. The effects of preparation conditions on the catalyst properties were investigated, including the kinds and amount of metal oxides and calcination temperatures. The activity tests indicated that catalysts with 5 wt.% Ni after calcining at 400°C (Ni(5)/ACF(400)) had the best performance for the simultaneous catalytic hydrolysis of COS and CS. The surface and structure properties of prepared ACF were characterized by scanning electron microscope-energy disperse spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), carbon dioxide-temperature programmed desorption (CO-TPD) and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared reflection (DRFTIR). And the metal cation defects were researched by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) method. The characterization results showed that the supporting of Ni on the ACF made the ACF catalyst show alkaline and increased the specific surface area and the number of micropores, then improved catalytic hydrolysis activity. The DRFTIR results revealed that -OH species could facilitate the hydrolysis of COS and CS; -COO and -C-O species could facilitate the oxidation of catalytic hydrolysate HS. And the EPR results showed that high calcination temperature conditions provide more active reaction center for the COS and CS adsorption.