Aspects of selective adsorption among oxidized sulfur compounds in fossil fuels

Solid adsorbents were tested for adsorbing oxidized sulfur compounds to identify a selective adsorbent for completion of an oxidative process that was enhanced by ultrasound irradiation. Therefore, the advantages of both oxidative and adsorptive desulfurization have been put together for an upgraded system. Gas chromatograms from a gas chromatograph-sulfur chemiluminescence detector (GC-SCD) evaluate the efficiency and selectivity of different adsorbents on different model sulfur compounds. As a single adsorbent, acidic alumina adsorbs 5.7 mg sulfur/g of alumina from an oxidized refractory sulfur compound. Acidic alumina is capable of maintaining its capacity at more than 98% after calcining for regeneration. Adsorption studies were carried out to find the effect of particle size and surface area along with the pore size of each adsorbent. Acidic alumina shows promising results as an adsorbent in the ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization (UAOD) process to achieve ultralow sulfur fuel (ULSF).