Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Chemical Papers Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability and materials

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

References

  • Ahmadi M, Anvaripour B, Khosravi-Nikou MR, Mohammadian M (2017) Selective denitrogenation of model fuel through iron and chromium modified microporous materials (MSU-S). J Environ Chem Eng 5:849–860

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ahmadi M, Mohammadian M, Khosravi-Nikou MR, Baghban A (2019) Experimental, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies of adsorptive desulfurization and denitrogenation of model fuels using novel mesoporous materials. J Hazard Mater 374:129–139

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al Zubaidi, Isam, Noora Naif Darwish, Yehya El Sayed, Zarook Shareefdeen, and Ziad Sara. 2015. 'Adsorptive Desulfurization of Commercial Diesel oil Using Granular Activated Charcoal'.

  • Ali MF, Al-Malki A, El-Ali B, Martinie G, Siddiqui MN (2006) Deep desulphurization of gasoline and diesel fuels using non-hydrogen consuming techniques. Fuel 85:1354–1363

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bakar WA, Abu W, Ali R, Kadir AAA, Mokhtar WNAW (2012) Effect of transition metal oxides catalysts on oxidative desulfurization of model diesel. Fuel Process Technol 101:78–84

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Battaglini A, Lilliestam J, Haas A, Patt A (2009) Development of SuperSmart Grids for a more efficient utilisation of electricity from renewable sources. J Clean Prod 17:911–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bazyari A, Khodadadi AA, Mamaghani AH, Beheshtian J, Thompson LT, Mortazavi Y (2016) Microporous titania–silica nanocomposite catalyst-adsorbent for ultra-deep oxidative desulfurization. Appl Catal B 180:65–77

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Booth M, Buglass JG, Unsworth JF (2001) Tailoring Fuels for the New Millennium. Top Catal 16:39–46

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caero LC, Hernández E, Pedraza F, Murrieta F (2005) ’Oxidative desulfurization of synthetic diesel using supported catalysts: Part I. Study of the operation conditions with a vanadium oxide based catalyst’, Catalysis Today 107–108:564–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Campos-Martin JM, Capel-Sanchez MC, Perez-Presas P, Fierro JLG (2010) Oxidative processes of desulfurization of liquid fuels. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 85:879–890

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, Shun Sheng. 2008. Ultra clean fuels via modified UAOD process with room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) & solid catalyst polishing (University of Southern California).

  • Deshpande A, Bassi A, Prakash A (2005) Ultrasound-Assisted, Base-Catalyzed Oxidation of 4,6-Dimethyldibenzothiophene in a Biphasic Diesel−Acetonitrile System. Energy Fuels 19:28–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ebrahimi SL, Khosravi-Nikou M, Hashemabadi SH (2019) An Experimental Study on the Operating Parameters of Ultrasound-assisted Oxidative Desulfurization. Iranian Journal of Oil and Gas Science and Technology 8:1–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Etemadi O, Yen TF (2007) Aspects of Selective Adsorption among Oxidized Sulfur Compounds in Fossil Fuels. Energy Fuels 21:1622–1627

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hao L, Benxian S, Zhou X (2005) An Improved Desulfurization Process Based on H2O2/Formic Acid Oxidation System Followed by Liquid-Liquid Extraction. Part 1. Coker Gas Oil Feedstocks. Pet Sci Technol 23:991–999

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jafari, MMR. Khosravi Nikou, and M. Motavassel. 2017. "Oil in water dispersion: Effects of dispersed phase viscousity and agitation speed in the stirred tank reactor." In 2017 International Conference on ENERGY and ENVIRONMENT (CIEM), 153–56.

  • Jafari, MMR Khosravi-Nikou and M %J International Journal of Chemical Motavassel, Molecular, Nuclear, Materials, and Metallurgical Engineering. 2016. 'Sulfur removal of hydrocarbon fuels using oxidative desulfurization enhanced by fenton process', 10: 1455–60.

  • Ja’fari M, Ebrahimi SL, Khosravi-Nikou MR (2018) Ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization and denitrogenation of liquid hydrocarbon fuels: A critical review. Ultrason Sonochem 40:955–968

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang M, Ng FTT (2006) Adsorption of benzothiophene on Y zeolites investigated by infrared spectroscopy and flow calorimetry. Catal Today 116:530–536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khosravi-Nikou M, Shariati A, Mohammadian M, Barati A, Najafi-Marghmaleki A (2020) A Robust Method to Predict Equilibrium and Kinetics of Sulfur and Nitrogen Compounds Adsorption from Liquid Fuel on Mesoporous Material. Iranian Journal of Oil and Gas Science and Technology 9:93–118

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim JH, Ma X, Zhou A, Song C (2006) Ultra-deep desulfurization and denitrogenation of diesel fuel by selective adsorption over three different adsorbents: a study on adsorptive selectivity and mechanism. Catal Today 111:74–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu S, Wang B, Cui B, Sun L (2008) Deep desulfurization of diesel oil oxidized by Fe (VI) systems. Fuel 87:422–428

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mamaghani H, Alireza SF, Asgari M (2013) Investigation of Influential Parameters in Deep Oxidative Desulfurization of Dibenzothiophene with Hydrogen Peroxide and Formic Acid. Int J Chem Eng 2013:951045

    Google Scholar 

  • Mansouri A, Khodadadi AA, Mortazavi Y (2014) Ultra-deep adsorptive desulfurization of a model diesel fuel on regenerable Ni–Cu/γ-Al2O3 at low temperatures in absence of hydrogen. J Hazard Mater 271:120–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma X, Sprague M, Song C (2005) Deep Desulfurization of Gasoline by Selective Adsorption over Nickel-Based Adsorbent for Fuel Cell Applications. Ind Eng Chem Res 44:5768–5775

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mei H, Mei BW, Yen TF (2003) A new method for obtaining ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel via ultrasound assisted oxidative desulfurization☆. Fuel 82:405–414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mello P, de A., Fábio A. Duarte, Matheus A. G. Nunes, Mauricio S. Alencar, Elizabeth M. Moreira, Mauro Korn, Valderi L. Dressler, and Érico M. M. Flores. (2009) Ultrasound-assisted oxidative process for sulfur removal from petroleum product feedstock. Ultrason Sonochem 16:732–736

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadian M, Ahmadi M, Khosravi-Nikou MR (2017) Adsorptive desulfurization and denitrogenation of model fuel by mesoporous adsorbents (MSU-S and CoO-MSU-S). Pet Sci Technol 35:608–614

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohammadian M, Khosravi-Nikou MR, Shariati A, Aghajani M (2018) Model fuel desulfurization and denitrogenation using copper and cerium modified mesoporous material (MSU-S) through adsorption process. Clean Technol Environ Policy 20:95–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair SA (2010) Desulfurization of Hydrocarbon Fuels at Ambient Conditions Using Supported Silver Oxide-Titania Sorbents. AUBURN UNIV AL, In.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nawaf AT, Gheni SA, Jarullah AT, Mujtaba IM (2015) Improvement of fuel quality by oxidative desulfurization: Design of synthetic catalyst for the process. Fuel Process Technol 138:337–343

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ng FTT, Rahman A, Ohasi T, Jiang M (2005) A study of the adsorption of thiophenic sulfur compounds using flow calorimetry. Appl Catal B 56:127–136

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rashidi S, Nikou MRK, Anvaripour B (2015) Adsorptive desulfurization and denitrogenation of model fuel using HPW and NiO-HPW modified aluminosilicate mesostructures. Microporous Mesoporous Mater 211:134–141

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sahragard H, Khosravi-Nikou MR, Maddahi MH (2017) An optimization of process parameters for deep desulfurization of model fuel by ZSM-5/ZnO photocatalyst using response surface method. Pet Sci Technol 35:1879–1887

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sasanipour J, Shariati A, Aghajani M, Khosravi-Nikou M (2017) Dibenzothiophene removal from model fuel using an acid treated activated carbon. Pet Sci Technol 35:2066–2073

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sasanipour J, Shariati A, Aghajani M, Khosravi M, nikou. (2018) Experimental Investigation and Mathematical Modeling of 4, 6-DMDBT Adsorption on modified Activated Carbon. PETROLEUM RESEARCH 28:67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Shayegan Z, Razzaghi M, Niaei A, Salari D, Tabar MTS, Akbari AN (2013) “Sulfur removal of gas oil using ultrasound-assisted catalytic oxidative process and study of its optimum conditions”, Korean. J Chem Eng 30:1751–1759

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srivastav A, Srivastava VC (2009) Adsorptive desulfurization by activated alumina. J Hazard Mater 170:1133–1140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Te M, Fairbridge C, Ring Z (2001) Oxidation reactivities of dibenzothiophenes in polyoxometalate/H2O2 and formic acid/H2O2 systems. Appl Catal A 219:267–280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wan, Meng-Wei, and Teh-Fu %J Applied Catalysis A: General Yen. 2007. 'Enhance efficiency of tetraoctylammonium fluoride applied to ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization (UAOD) process', 319: 237–45.

  • Yan X-M, Gao-shen Su, Xiong L (2009) Oxidative desulfurization of diesel oil over Ag-modified mesoporous HPW/SiO2 catalyst. Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology 37:318–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yazu K, Yamamoto Y, Furuya T, Miki K, Ukegawa K (2001) Oxidation of Dibenzothiophenes in an Organic Biphasic System and Its Application to Oxidative Desulfurization of Light Oil. Energy Fuels 15:1535–1536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshimura Y, Matsubayashi N, Sato T, Shimada H, Nishijima A (1991) Molybdate catalysts prepared by a novel impregnation method: Effect of citric acid as a ligand on the catalytic activities. Appl Catal A 79:145–159

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

There is no funding report for the present research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

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

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

Authors
  1. Mohammad Mehri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammad Reza Khosravi-Nikou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Masoud Aghajani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ahmad Shariati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MM: Investigation, Formal Analysis, Writing-Original draft; MRK: Writing-Review & Editing, Supervision; MA: Supervision; AS: Supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Reza Khosravi-Nikou.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

There is no any conflict of interest for this research.

Ethical approval

The authors hereby confirm the submitted work is original and have not been published elsewhere in any form or language (partially or in full).

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mehri, M., Khosravi-Nikou, M.R., Aghajani, M. et al. Process intensification of liquid hydrocarbon fuel desulfurization using catalytic-oxidative-adsorptive method. Chem. Pap. 75, 3667–3678 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-021-01618-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-021-01618-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation