Desulphurization of petroleum coke by butagas

Abstract

The work described concerns the desulphurization of Egyptian petroleum coke by butagas in a fixed-bed reactor. Optimum values for reaction temperature and coke particle size were observed; but increased gas flow rate, prolonged reaction time, and decreased coke bed depth all favoured increased sulphur removal throughout the ranges studied. The effects of the different factors could be interpreted satisfactorily in terms of the thermodynamic potential of the desulphurization reaction and the diffusion of gases into and out of the coke particles. While gas/coke ratio governs the former, the latter is mainly influenced by sintering of the coke particles. For comparison, some desulphurization runs were carried out using hydrogen in place of butagas, and Syrian petroleum coke instead of the Egyptian coke. The Syrian coke proved difficult to desulphurize.