Desulfurization of Diesel Fuels by Adsorption via π-Complexation with Vapor-Phase Exchanged Cu(I)−Y Zeolites

• Published in: Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 126; no. 4; pp. 992 - 993
• Main Authors: Hernández-Maldonado, Arturo J, Yang, Ralph T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 04.02.2004
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemistry; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuels; General and physical chemistry; Petroleum products, gas and fuels. Motor fuels, lubricants and asphalts; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Catalytic reaction; Diesel fuel; Catalyst selectivity; Aluminosilicates; Experimental study; Molecular sieve; Gas solid adsorption; Petrochemical industry; Copper ion; Ion exchange; Catalyst activity; Catalyst; Hydrodesulfurization; Modified material
• ISSN: 0002-7863; 1520-5126
• DOI: 10.1021/ja039304m

Desulfurization of a commercial diesel fuel by vapor-phase ion exchange (VPIE) copper(I) faujasite zeolites was studied in a fixed-bed adsorber operated at ambient temperature and pressure. The zeolite adsorbed approximately five thiophenic molecules per unit cell. After treating 18 cm3 of fuel, the cumulative average sulfur concentration detected was 0.032 ppmw-S. GC−FPD results showed that the π-complexation sorbents selectively adsorbed highly substituted thiophenes, benzothiophenes, and dibenzothiophenes from diesel, which is not possible by using conventional hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reactors. The high sulfur selectivity and high sulfur capacity of the VPIE Cu(II)−zeolites were due to π-complexation.