Kinetics have been studied of the reaction system taking place during the reaction of thiophene on the cobalt-molybdenum catalyst in a gradientless circulation flow reactor at 360 °C and atmospheric pressure. Butane has been found present in a small amount in the reaction products even at very low conversion. In view of this, consecutive and parallel-consecutive (triangular) reaction schemes have been proposed. In the former scheme the appearance of butane is accounted for by rate of desorption of butene being comparable with the rate of its hydrogenation. According to the latter scheme part of the butane originates from thiophene via a different route than through hydrogenation of butene. Analysis of the kinetic data has revealed that the reaction of thiophene should be considered to take place on other active sites than that of butene. Kinetic equations derived on this assumption for the consecutive and the triangular reaction schemes correlate experimental data with acceptable accuracy.
