Abstract
Removal of sulfur and nitrogen compounds from national commercial diesel through adsorption onto activated carbon was studied. Brazilian commercial activated carbon samples (AC) were modified by acid oxidation and, alternatively, were impregnated with palladium chloride. Modified carbon samples showed a significant increase in the quantity of acid sites, particularly those AC submitted to impregnation with palladium. Adsorption capacity of the carbon samples increased proportionally to the increase in the acid groups. Adsorption efficiency of the activated carbon impregnated with palladium chloride was over 85% for nitrogen compounds and over 60% for sulfur compounds. The treatment studied was found to be an efficient option for the removal of sulfur and nitrogen compounds present in commercial diesel, and thus it could be an alternative pretreatment in the conventional hydrotreatment process.
Highlights
On a global scale the reduction of atmospheric emissions has encouraged environmental institutions to establish ever stricter legislation, principally in relation to the sulfur content of automotive fuels [1].Currently, refineries in Brazil are facing the challenge of producing commercialized fuels which adhere to the sulfur limit of 10 ppmw, set for 2016 according to Resolution of the Brazilian National Council on the Environment
This paper describes a study on the adsorption of compounds containing sulfur and nitrogen in commercial diesel using different types of activated carbon
Brazilian commercial and modified activated carbon samples can be used for the removal of sulfur and nitrogen compounds from commercial diesel
Summary
On a global scale the reduction of atmospheric emissions has encouraged environmental institutions to establish ever stricter legislation, principally in relation to the sulfur content of automotive fuels [1].Currently, refineries in Brazil are facing the challenge of producing commercialized fuels which adhere to the sulfur limit of 10 ppmw, set for 2016 according to Resolution of the Brazilian National Council on the Environment. With the existing hydrodesulfurization (HDS) technologies it is expensive to achieve production with such low sulfur levels, since extreme operating conditions are required. New alternatives to remove sulfur compounds have been studied in order to achieve the low levels stipulated in the new specifications without altering the quality of the product [2]. In this regard, the removal of contaminants by adsorption using modified materials has gained relevance due to their good performance in relatively simple processes with mild operating conditions. Emphasis has been given to the preparation of modified activated carbon surfaces using different procedures to increase the adsorption capacity for specific contaminants. Several treatments have been reported including the use of acids, bases, impregnation, ozone, surface treatments with plasma and microwaves [3]
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