Sulfur dioxide from petroleum combustion

The relative importance attached to sulfur compounds in petroleum may, at first, seem unwarranted, but the presence of sulfur compounds in any crude oil can only result in harmful effects. For example, the presence of sulfur compounds in finished petroleum products such as gasoline will cause corrosion of engine parts, especially under winter conditions when water containing sulfur dioxide (from the internal combustion) may collect in the crankcase. On the other hand, mercaptans cause the corrosion of copper and brass in the presence of air and also have an adverse effect on the color stability of gasoline and other liquid fuels. 

The problem of sulfur dioxide pollution is made more complicated by the energy crisis. As petroleum supplies dwindle and the price increases, our dependence on coal will probably grow. As supplies of low-sulfur coal are used up, high-sulfur coal will be utilized. One way to use high-sulfur coal without further harming the air quality is to remove the sulfur dioxide from the exhaust gas by means of a system called a scrubber before it is emitted from the power plant stack. A common method of scrubbing is to blow powdered limestone (CaC03) into the combustion chamber, where it is decomposed to lime and carbon dioxide ... 

Oxidative microcoulometry has become a widely accepted technique for the determination of low concentrations of sulfur in petroleum and petroleum products (ASTM D3120). The method involves combustion of the sample in an oxygen-rich atmosphere followed by microcoulometric generation of a triiodide ion to consume the resulting sulfur dioxide. It is intended to distinguish the technique from reductive microcoulometry, which converts sulfur in the sample to hydrogen sulflde that is titrated with coulometrically generated silver ion. 

The bomb method for sulfur determination (ASTM D129) uses sample combustion in oxygen and conversion of the sulfur to barium sulfate, which is determined by mass. This method is suitable for samples containing 0.1 to 5.0% w/w sulfur and can be used for most low-volatility petroleum products. Elements that produce residues insoluble in hydrochloric acid interfere with this method this includes aluminum, calcium, iron, lead, and silicon, plus minerals such as asbestos, mica, and silica, and an alternative method (ASTM D1552) is preferred. This method describes three procedures the sample is first pyrolyzed in either an induction furnace or a resistance furnace the sulfur is then converted to sulfur dioxide, and the sulfur dioxide is either titrated with potassium iodate-starch reagent or is analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. This method is generally suitable for samples containing from 0.06 to 8.0% w/w sulfur that distill at temperatures above 177°C (351°F). 

A few comments Sulfur dioxide (S02) is a gas produced by volcanoes and from many industrial processes. It is sometimes used as a preservative in alcoholic drinks, or dried apricots and other fruits. Generally, the combustion of fossil fuels containing sulfur compounds such as coal and petroleum results in sulfur dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. Beyond its irritating effect on the lungs, sulfur dioxide is also a threat to the environment, since it is well known to contribute to acid-rain formation. 

Worldwide, the amount of energy available from coal is estimated to be about ten times greater than the amount available from all petroleum and natural gas reserves combined. Coal is also the filthiest fossil fuel because it contains large amounts of such impurities as sulfur, toxic heavy metals, and radioactive isotopes. Burning coal is therefore one of the quickest ways to introduce a variety of pollutants into the air. More than half of the sulfur dioxide and about 30 percent of the nitrogen oxides released into the atmosphere by humans come from the combustion of coal. As with other fossil fuels, the combustion of coal also produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. 

Benzo [a] pyrene (BaP) and sulfur dioxide are ubiquitous air pollutants that result from petroleum fuel combustion, tobacco smoke, and other sources. BaP is carcinogenic, although sulfur dioxide is not. Sulfur dioxide does, however, enhance the respiratory tract carcinogenesis of BaP when they are co-administered to laboratory animals. I104 105 ... 

For fuel applications, a popular SBO derivative is methyl soyate (SBO methyl ester, also known as Soy Gold) (J). This biodiesel has several advantages over diesel fuel from petroleum sources because it is biodegradable, has a high flash combustion temperature, contains negligible amount of sulfur, is neutral with respect to carbon dioxide emission, and can potentially reduce many harmful exhaust emissions. Methyl soyate is also an increasingly useful industrial solvent for grease removal. 

Ammonia can be converted to the ammonium cation, sulfur dioxide to the more stable sulfate anion, and nitrogen dioxide to nitrite and nitrate ions. In addition, organic anions, which include carboxylic acids and amines, can be determined. Sulfur dioxide, which results primarily from the combustion of coal and petroleum, is... 

Despite being recognized as far back as the 1870s, the environmental problems associated with acid rain came to the fore in the 1960s with the decline of fish stocks in European and North American lakes. Two of the major contributors towards acid rain are SO2 and NO . (In Section 25.8, we discuss the use of catalytic converters to combat pollution due to nitrogen oxides, NOj .) Although SO2 emissions arise from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions, artificial sources contribute 90% of the sulfur in the atmosphere. Fossil fuels such as coal contain 2-3% sulfur and combustion produces SO2. This is being countered by the recovery of sulfur from petroleum (Fig. 16.2). Sulfur dioxide is released when metal sulfide ores are roasted in the production of metals such as Co, Ni, Cu and Zn, for example ... 

BaP and sulfur dioxide are ubiquitous air pollutants that result from petroleum fuel combustion, tobacco smoke, and other sources. BaP is carcinogenic, though sulfur dioxide... 

As the technology for piping gas from the source began to improve, it became possible to pipe natural gas over thousands of miles. This has meant that natural gas has become as convenient as petroleum and coal to use as a fuel source, and often with far less pollution. Natural gas bums with almost no byproducts except for carbon dioxide and water (as opposed to coal which often has large amounts of sulfur in it), and the heat released from the reaction (combustion of any of the hydrocarbon components of natural gas is an exothermic process). The combustion of methane, the most prevalent component of natural gas, is described by the reaction below ... 

The oil companies will tell us there is no shortage of oil. If they drill, more they will be able to produce all the oil we need for 40 to 80 dollars per barrel. They will press congress for permission to drill in Arctic and Antarctic and along the shoreline of all oceans. If this approach fails to find oil, we can always turn to shale from which we can produce huge quantities of oil at a price of 50 to 100 dollars a barrel. Since the combustion of shale oil will produce carbon dioxide in the same manner as the combustion of petroleum, some of the oil companies will deny the existence of the carbon dioxide problem with greater vigor than the automobile companies. They will talk of further improvements in processes that will reduce the sulfur content of fuels to aid in reducing acid rain. 

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