Desulfuration of petroleum

Kohler, M. Genz, I.-L. Schicht, B., and Eckart, V., Microbial Desulfurization of Petroleum and Heavy Petroleum Fractions. 4. Anaerobic Degradation of Organic Sulfur Compounds. Zentralbl. Mikrobiol., 1984. 139 pp. 239-247. 

Monot, F. Abbad, A. S., and Warzywoda, M. Biological culture containing Rhodococcus erythropolis erythropolis and/or Rhodococcus rhodnii and process for desulfurization of petroleum fraction. Patent No. US6337204. 2002, Jan. 08. 

Kankipati, P., and Ju, L. K., Microbial Desulfurization of Petroleum Fundamental Study on Dibenzothiophene Desulfurization by Sulfolobus Acidocaldarius. In Exploration Issues and Solutions in Petroleum Exploration, Production and Refining. 1994. Pennwell Books. 605-614. 

New cultures of Rhodococcus strains, useful for desulfurization of petroleum and its products, comprises high catalytic stability which allows culture recycling [86],... 

WOLF, B.P., SUMNER, L.W., SHIELDS, S.J., NIELSEN, K., GRAY, K.A., RUSSELL, D.H., Characterization of proteins utilized in the desulfurization of petroleum products by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, Anal. Biochem., 1998,260,117-127. 

Molybdenum(VI) oxide is used in catalyst compositions to carry out desulfurization of petroleum feedstocks and to remove nitrogen-containing compounds from petroleum fractions. Other uses of this oxide include preparation of various molybdate salts and as reagents for chemical analyses. 

Coal liquefaction Fischer-Tropsch synthesis Synthesis of methanol Hydrogenation of oils Alkylation of methanol and benzene Polymerization of olefins Hydrogenation of coal oils, heavy oil fractions, and unsaturated fatty acids Adsorption of S02 in an aqueous slurry of magnesium oxide and calcium carbonate S02 or removal from tail gas Wet oxidation of waste sludge Catalytic desulfurization of petroleum fractions Wastewater treatment... 

Thus, it is evident that as of the early 1980s, the panacea for stack gas treatment was yet to be realized. Difficulties in treating stack gases have provided incentives at the other end of the combustion cycle, namely, in the treatment of the fuels prior to combustion. Various means for treating coal are described in detail in the entry on Coal and desulfurization of petroleum fuels is described under Petroleum. 

Fig. 33. Relationship between vanadium and nickel removal during desulfurization of petroleum oils (Ohtsuka, 1977).

Sulfur removal, as practiced in various refineries, can take several forms for instance, concentration in refinery products such as coke (Table 7-1), hydrode-sulfurization, or chemical removal (acid treating and caustic treating, i.e., sweetening or finishing processes). Nevertheless, the desulfurization of petroleum is almost universally accomplished by the catalytic reaction of hydrogen with the sulfur-containing constituents of petroleum to produce hydrogen sulfide that can be readily separated from the liquid products (Chapter 9). 

The cobalt-molybdenum combination was also investigated later by the Union Oil Company for the desulfurization of petroleum fractions (29). It was found that, for a bentonite-supported catalyst, cobalt oxide... 

Ranney, M. W. Desulfurization of Petroleum Noyes Data Corp. Park... 

In the field of hydrocarbon conversions, N. D. Zelinskii and his numerous co-workers have published much important information since 1911. Zelinskii s method for the selective dehydrogenation of cyclohexanes over platinum and palladium was first applied to analytical work (155,351,438,439), but in recent years attempts have been made to use it industrially for the manufacture of aromatics from the cyclohexanes contained in petroleum. In addition, nickel on alumina was used for this purpose by V. I. Komarewsky in 1924 (444) and subsequently by N. I. Shuikin (454,455,456). Hydrogen disproportionation of cyclohexenes over platinum or palladium discovered by N. D. Zelinskii (331,387) is a related field of research. Studies of hydrogen disproportionation are being continued, and their application is being extended to compounds such as alkenyl cyclohexanes. The dehydrocyclization of paraffins was reported by this institute (Kazanskil and Plate) simultaneously with B. L. Moldavskil and co-workers and with Karzhev (1937). The catalysts employed by this school have also been tested for the desulfurization of petroleum and shale oil fractions by hydrogenation under atmospheric pressure. Substantial sulfur removal was achieved by the use of platinum and nickel on alumina (392). 

Kalinowsky, B. Wlodarski, R., "The Mechanism of Thermal Desulfurization of Petroleum Cokes with High Sulfur Content," Przemysl Chemiczny, 1968, 47, 351. 

Review of Process Alternatives, Superior Graphite began in 1968 to investigate possible alternatives for desulfurization of petroleum cokes. The methods considered included various chemical treatments and direct thermal purification processes. The chemical treatment methods included hydrodesulfurization and reactions with various alkali metal compounds. Fine grinding of the coke appeared to be required and reaction conditions generally involved high pressure. 

Figure 1. Desulfurization of Petroleum Coke by Thermal Treatment.

Yet another application of solid-state catalysis occurs in the desulfurization of petroleum. Natural petroleum includes various molecules that contain sulfur atoms. Combustion of this petroleum produces S02, which must be removed from the exhaust to prevent air pollution. One way to prevent pollution by S02 is to remove the sulfur from the petroleum before it is used for fuel—the desulfurization of petroleum. One type of sulfur containing molecules found in petroleum are thiols, which can be written R—SH, where R represents a molecular fragment containing a long chain of carbon atoms. In desulfurization the goal is to remove the sulfur from this molecule to produce a hydrocarbon (R—H) ... 

A patent for desulfurization of petroleum streams containing condensed ring heterocyclic organosulfur compounds on the basis of the similar principle was filed by Research and Engineering Company in 2001.58... 

Zannikos, F, Lois, E., and Stournas, S. Desulfurization of petroleum fractions by oxidation and solvent-extraction. Fuel Processing Technology, 1995, 42, 35. 

While desulfurization of petroleum fractions is a possibility more quantitative work is necessary before the plasma technique can be applied on industrial scale. 

---