Magnetic WO3/Fe3O4 as catalyst for deep oxidative desulfurization of model oil

Highlights: • The magnetic WO₃/Fe₃O₄ can be easily separated from the reaction system. • WO₃/Fe₃O₄ shows high stability in sulfur removal. • The amount of catalyst used is relatively low. • High desulfurization efficiency can be achieved under the optimal conditions. - Abstract: In this work, a magnetic WO₃/Fe₃O₄ catalyst was synthesized by grinding-calcination method and applied in the deep oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT). The results showed that the as-synthesized WO₃/Fe₃O₄ had high catalytic efficiency for sulfur-removal. The content of WO₃, amount of the catalyst, TBHP/DBT molar ratio and reaction temperature had significant effects on the desulfurization efficiency. The highest DBT conversion of 92.3% was achieved on 35% WO₃/Fe₃O₄ catalyst with the O/S ratio of 12:1 at 100 °C for 4.5 h. The results of this study revealed that WO₃/Fe₃O₄ catalyst has excellent potential for desulfurization properties because of its high catalytic activity and easy separation ability under an external magnetic field.