Desulfurization of heavy naphtha by oxidation-adsorption process using iron-promoted activated carbon and Cu+2-promoted zeolite 13X

Abstract

The removal efficiency of sulfur compounds from heavy naphtha with a sulfur concentration of 600 ppm was evaluated using a combination of oxidation and adsorption processes. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used as an oxygenated agent. At the same time, iron-promoted activated carbon (IPAC) and Cu+2 promoted zeolite 13X (CPZ13X) were used in dual functions (catalysts for the oxidation reaction and adsorbents for sulfur compounds). This study explored the effect of several factors on desulfurization efficiency. These factors are the volume ratio of H2O2 to heavy naphtha (0.01–0.05), agitation speed (Uspeed = 100–500 ± 2 rpm), pH of heavy naphtha (1–5), the weight of solid materials (0.5–2.0 g), process temperature (290–360 ± 1 K), and contact time (30–180 min). The outcomes show that IPAC is superior for the desulfurization process due to its better performance in oxidation and adsorption of sulfur compounds due to its physicochemical properties, such as its high surface area. The maximum desulfurization efficiency of IPAC and CPZ13X reached by this work were 97 and 93%, respectively. The adsorption capacity of IPAC and CPZ13X reached at the optimum conditions were 21.83 and 20.93 mg/g, respectively.