ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Process intensification of liquid hydrocarbon fuel desulfurization using catalytic-oxidative-adsorptive method

Mohammad Mehri, Mohammad Reza Khosravi-Nikou, Masoud Aghajani, and Ahmad Shariati

Gas Engineering Department, Ahvaz Faculty of Petroleum, Petroleum University of Technology, Ahvaz, Iran

E-mail: mr.khosravi@put.ac.ir

Received: 25 October 2020  Accepted: 19 March 2021

Abstract:

Abstract

In the present study, different metals included Ni and Cu were separately loaded on the mixed matrix of Al₂O₃-TiO₂ to be used in catalytic-oxidative-adsorptive desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbon model fuel. The prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N₂ adsorption–desorption and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The effects of different important parameters on catalytic-adsorptive desulfurization in the presence of hydrogen peroxide including sulfur/catalyst ratio (mg g⁻¹) in the range of 4–12, oxidant/sulfur molar ratio (mol mol⁻¹) of 4–10, temperature in the range of 30 °C–70 °C, and reaction time of 30–90 min. for the model fuel of n-decane with 800 ppm dibenzothiophene were investigated. Response surface methodology was used to design of experiments and explore the synergistic effects of investigated parameters. The results showed that Ni/Al₂O₃-TiO₂ has higher sulfur removal efficiency than Cu/Al₂O₃-TiO₂. Maximum efficiency (83.9%) was achieved when Ni/Al₂O₃-TiO₂ was used at the conditions included sulfur to catalyst ratio = 4 mg g⁻¹, oxidant to sulfur molar ratio = 10 mol mol⁻¹, temperature = 70 °C, and the reaction time = 90 min. It was found that the efficiency of desulfurization for catalysts was increased with decreasing of the sulfur to catalyst ratio and increased when oxidant to sulfur molar ratio, temperature and reaction time increased.

Graphic abstract

Keywords: Catalytic-oxidative-adsorptive; Desulfurization; Al2O3-TiO2; Process intensification

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01618-7

Chemical Papers 75 (7) 3667–3678 (2021)