Ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel

Energy Information Agency. The Transition to Ultra-Low-Sulfur Diesel Fuel Effects on Prices and Supply. Special Report. 2001 May. Available from http //www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/ servicerpt/ulsd/pdf/ulsd.pdf. 

Severely hydroprocessed ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel can differ in properties and performance from higher-sulfur-content diesel fuels. Some important differences are described here. 

Severely hydroprocessed ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel has poorer lubricity properties than higher-sulfur-content fuels. Many of the compounds that contribute to providing adequate lubricity have been removed. Metal wear and loss of fuel pump pressure can occur if fuel with poor lubricity is used. 

Conversion of heterocyclic aromatic compounds or other aromatic fuel components to paraffins by hydroprocessing can help increase the cetane number of diesel fuel. Fuel paraffins have significantly higher cetane number values than fuel aromatics. For this reason, the cetane number of ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel will typically be one to five numbers greater than higher-sulfur grade fuels. 

Although hydroprocessing will remove most of the naturally occurring antioxidants contained in fuel, other less stable, more reactive components will also be reduced. As a whole, ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel will be much less prone to color degradation and deposit formation than earlier-era diesel fuels. 

Meanwhile, ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel was introduced at retail pumps in October 2006 in the U.S. New EPA emissions rules will be in effect across America in 2009 requiring that diesel engines meet exacting standards for low air pollution. The new clean diesel fuel eliminates 97% of sulfur... 

Total removal of phosphorus and sulfur would require the use of synthetic base-oils and new additive systems to provide antiwear antioxidation protection. Synthetic base-oil PAOs or esters have high values of viscosity improver VI and low temperature operating properties. The lubricants in diesel engines require a reduction in Ca carbonate-sulfonate concentrations. This may be less of a problem when ultra low sulfur diesel fuel is widely deployed, since a significant part of the requirement for these additives arises from the need to neutralize sulfur oxides from combustion processes. 

Mei, H Mei, B.W. Yen, T.F. A new method for obtaining ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel via ultrasound assisted oxidative desulfurization. Fuel 2003, 82, 405-414. 

An EDXRF method similar to ASTM D 4294 is available, but it may not have enough sensitivity to be used for levels in the ultra low sulfur diesel fuels. 

ASTM Interlaboratory Crosscheck Program, Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2004. 

On sulfur poisoning, Tang et al. [35], used SO2 exposure levels equal to those obtained with ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (<15 ppm sulfur), and show that copper zeolite catalyst started losing deNOx efficiency after about 400 h of operation at temperatures of 200-300 °C. These results are shown in Fig. 1.9. Through 1,300 h of operation, the catalyst had deteriorated continuously from 98 % deNOx... 

The chemistry of diesel fuel processing has evolved significantly around the central issue of how to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel fuels and low-aromatic diesel fuels in a more efficient and environmentally friendly fashion. New design approaches are necessary for making affordable ultra-clean diesel and gasoline. 

There are several reasons why refinery engineers will want to consider using the new extractive desulfurization (EDS) processes. First, EDS can be considered for stand-alone desulfurization to produce ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD), similarly to HDS processing. Second, EDS may be considered for tandem operation with HDS, either as HDS feed pretreatment or effluent post-treatment to achieve the new ULSD specifications. In these cases EDS promises to be an alternative for very-high severity HDS processing. 

Moso", B.R., Vaughn, S.F., 2010a. Evaluation of alkyl esters from Camelina saliva oil as biodiesel and blend components in ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. Bioresour. Technol. 101, 646-653. 

The C0-M0CA-S/AI2O3 catalysts obtained via bimetallic (C0M04CA) complex that can be prepared from different initial compounds, after the drying at 120°C and sulfidation with DMDS have shown the comparable activity in the hydrotreatment of diesel fuel (Table 3). All the prepared catalysts allow ultra low sulfur diesel fuel to be obtained. 

So how much investment will be made to process low-sulfur fuels A recent Energy Information Administration (EIA) report estimates that U.S. refiners will invest 6.3-9.3 billion to reach full compliance with the ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) rule through 201 1.33 For Europe, refiners made investments of nearly 22.9 billion from 1997 to 2005 to meet gasoline and diesel specifications. From 2005 to 2015, an additional 9.7-14 billion may be spent on improving the quantity and quality of middle distillates in Europe.15 Thus, considerable investment will be necessary to bring cleaner fuels to market. 

A major challenge even for advanced diesel engines is the array of impending U.S. federal Tier 2 and California LEV II emissions standards. Work is ongoing to achieve these standards and to ensure that the exhaust after-treatment devices required will meet the necessary durability standards. Two things are certain Diesel fuel quality must improve dramatically, at least to the 2006 ultra low sulfur diesel requirements and preferably well beyond, and the cost of a Tier 2 Bin 5 or LEV II compliant diesel system will be substantial, rivaling the cost of hybrid electric gasoline fueled vehicle systems. 

Eijsbouts S, Plantenga F, Leliveld B, Inoue Y, and Fujita K (2003) STARS and NEBULA — new gener-atimis of hydroprocessing catalysts for the production of ultra low sulfur diesel, http //www.anl.gov/ PCS/acsfuel reprint%20archive/Files/48 2 New% 20York 10-03 0583.pdf. Accessed 28 Nov 2011. Prepr Pap.-Am Chem Soc, Div Fuel Chem 48(2) 494... 

Nehter et al. [47] have analyzed the technology and economics of different fuel processing options for mobile auxiliary power units using ultra-low sulfur diesel as fuel. 

Bonde, S.E. Gore, W. Dolbear, G.E. Skov, E.R. Selective oxidation and extraction of suUur-containing compounds to economically achieve ultra-low proposed diesel fuel sulfur requirements. Prep. Div. Pet Chem., American Chemical Society, 219 National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, March 26-31,2000 364-366. 

Chapados, D. Desulfurization by Selective Oxidation and Extraction of Sulfur-Containing Compounds to Economically Achieve Ultra-Low Proposed Diesel Fuel Sulfur Requirements, Paper presented at the 2000 NPRA Annual Meeting. 

Mukai, Y., and Mizutani, Y., Survey of Petroleum Refining Technology for High-quality (Ultra-low Sulfur Content) Diesel Fuel. Petroleum Energy Center. 01 Survey 4-3, 2001. 

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