Preparation of activated ceria and its desulfurization performance

Activated ceria (CeO2/γ-Al2O3) prepared by impregnation was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron mi-croscopy (SEM), and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The desulfurization of the activated ceria was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results showed that ceria could be highly dispersed or crystallized on the surface ofγ-alumina. The reduction temperatures of 0.1CeO2/γ-Al2O3, 0.45CeO2/γ-Al2O3, and CeO2 ranged from 250°C to 470°C, 330°C to 550°C, and 350°C to 550°C, respectively. The reduction peak tem-perature of 0.45CeO2/γ-Al2O3 was higher than that of 0.1CeO2/γ-Al2O3, which was consistent with the reduction temperature of CeO2. O2 participated in the reaction between ceria and sulfur dioxide. The desulfurization product was cerium(III) sulfate. The intensity of the hy-droxyl band decreased with the formation of sulfate species.