Patent ID: 8637423

Claim:
A catalyst for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of naphtha which is prepared by a process comprising: (i) heating an alumina precursor to a temperature above at least about 800° C. to form a high temperature alumina, impregnating the high temperature alumina with an aqueous solution of(a) a cobalt salt, (b) a molybdenum salt, and (c) at least one organic additive to form an impregnated high temperature alumina, provided that the high temperature alumina has a gamma, eta and chi alumina content less than about 30 wt. %, based on the total weight of the alumina; a median pore diameter in the range of about 100 A to about 1000 A; and a surface area between about 40 m2/g and about 200 m2/g; (ii) drying the impregnated high temperature alumina at temperatures less than about 200° C. to form a dried impregnated high temperature alumina catalyst precursor; and (iii) sulfiding the dried impregnated high temperature alumina catalyst precursor to form a HDS catalyst, provided that the HDS catalyst or catalyst precursor is not calcined prior to sulfiding or use for HDS; wherein the organic additive is an organic ligand containing oxygen and/or nitrogen atoms.