The production of high quality low emission diesel component has experimentally been studied in a hydrotreating micro-plant using a novel catalyst and compared to the commercial operation with a conventional HDT catalyst. Both catalysts were tested incrementing the operational temperature as function of cycle length to keep sulfur in product constant, while keeping the other conditions constant. The reaction products were characterized and tested in a diesel engine to measure NOx and PM emission. The spent catalyst was characterized using solid 13CNMR spectroscopy and ammonia adsorption, and tested with probe molecules to verify its naphthenic ring opening capability. An important decline in ring opening activity was detected along the cycle length due to acid sites deactivation. The deactivation is attributed to LCO poly-aromatics adsorption on a particular type of acid sites.

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