Desulfurization of non-hydrotreated kerosene using hydrodynamic cavitation assisted oxidative desulfurization (HCAOD) process

• Published in: Journal of environmental chemical engineering Vol. 8; no. 4; p. 103832
• Main Authors: Baradaran, Soroush, Sadeghi, Mohammad Taghi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2020
• Subjects: Formic acid; Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC); Hydrodynamic cavitation Oxidative Desulfurization (HCAOD); Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrodynamic cavitation Oxidative Desulfurization (HCAOD); Hydrogen peroxide; Formic acid; Hydrodynamic cavitation (HC)
• ISSN: 2213-3437; 2213-3437
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2020.103832

[Display omitted] •HCAOD process was introduced for effective kerosene desulfurization.•A remarkable 95 % sulfur removal could be attained at HCAOD optimum condition.•Beside hydrogen peroxide, formic acid plays an important role in the process.•Appearance of choked cavitation at high inlet pressures resulted in decay in sulfur removal.•Cavitational yield per various HCAOD conditions was evaluated. In this study a non-hydrotreated kerosene was subject of experimental investigation via Hydrodynamic Cavitation Assisted Oxidative Desulfurization (HCAOD) process. Effects of various parameters affecting the desulfurization and cavitational yield of the process were studied. Hydrogen peroxide and Formic acid (HCOOH) were utilized as the oxidant and catalyst agents, respectively. Experiments were performed at constant temperature (50 °C) with various oxidant to sulfur molar ratio (nO/nS) (10–40), acid to sulfur molar ratio (nA/nS) (30–120), HC inlet pressure (3−6 bar) and oxidation time (10−30 min). A maximum sulfur removal of 95.8 % was achieved at 5 bar of HC inlet pressure using oxidant to sulfur molar ratio (nO/nS) of 30 and acid to sulfur molar ratio (nA/nS) equal to 90 within 30 min of the treatment. This value was markedly higher than what was obtained using similar conditions in the absence of HC. Furthermore, yield efficiency evaluation implied that cavitational yield of 2.47 × 10−3 mg J-1 using the optimum HCAOD conditions can be attained. However, the maximum yield of 4.23 × 10−3 mg J-1, was obtained having similar conditions with the treatment time of 10 min. The outcome highlights the impact of HCAOD as a promising process for intensification of oxidative desulfurization.