Abstract
The current desulfurization technology, hydrodesulfurization (HDS), is energy intensive, uses large quantities of hydrogen, and is ineffective at removing some sulfur compounds. Ionic liquids have been recently shown to perform well as extraction solvents for the removal of sulfur from diesel. However, a major limitation towards their industrial use is the low mass transfer rates that result from their relatively high viscosities. This study investigates the use of ultrasound to overcome this problem. The ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([C2mim][CH3COO]), was used to desulfurize model diesel consisting of dibenzothiophene in hexadecane, in the absence and presence of ultrasound. It was found that sonification can greatly enhance the rate of mass transfer of DBT from diesel to the IL, resulting in a 57% sulfur removal for a 75% decrease in extraction time for batch studies, which results in a reduction in the number of equilibrium stages necessary for a continuous extraction process.
Highlights
Today diesel fuel plays a crucial role in shaping our economies worldwide
Samples of the diesel phase were extracted at fixed time intervals and sulfur content was determined using an Ametek X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer
The use of ultrasound can significantly enhance the mass transfer rate even when mechanical agitation is used. These results verify that ultrasound can be potentially integrated into extractive desulfurization involving IL as extractive solvents, to significantly accelerate desulfurization rates
Summary
Today diesel fuel plays a crucial role in shaping our economies worldwide. It is used in transportation, industrialization and power generation, for example [1]. Sulfur compounds present in diesel turn to SOX derivatives upon combustion, which have major detrimental environmental impacts. These compounds cause acid rain, ozone depletion, and jeopardize living organisms. The ability of US to agitate, generate cavitation, cause localized increases in temperatures, and attenuate solvent viscosity [4] are the reasons behind the selection of irradiation in this study to facilitate the desulfurization process and overcome the mass transfer limitations in IL extraction. The effects of US on the mass transfer rate and extraction process design in the desulfurization of diesel are investigated in this paper
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