Method for removing sulfur compounds from fuel using an adsorbent
The present disclosure provides a method for removing sulfur compounds from a fuel containing sulfur compounds. The method includes contacting the fuel with an adsorbent that comprises a carbonaceous material doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide to reduce the concentrations of the sulfur compounds. The carbonaceous material is at least one selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide, and the adsorbent has a weight ratio of C to Al in the range from 3:1 to 30:1, and a weight ratio of C to O in the range from 1:1 to 10:1.
1. A method of removing sulfur compounds from a fuel, comprising:
contacting the fuel with an adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent comprises a carbonaceous material doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide,
wherein the contacting forms a treated fuel having a reduced concentration of the sulfur compounds,
wherein the carbonaceous material is at least one selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide, and
wherein the adsorbent has a weight ratio of C to Al in the range from 3:1 to 30:1, and a weight ratio of C to O in the range from 3:1 to 9:1.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes are multi-walled carbon nanotubes.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous material is doped with the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide by incipient wetness impregnation.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel is at least one selected from the group consisting of diesel, jet fuel, marine gas oil, and used motor oil, and wherein the sulfur compounds are at least one selected from the group consisting of benzothiophene (BT), alkyl-benzothiophene (alkyl-BT), dibenzothiophene (DBT), alkyl-dibenzothiophene (alkyl-DBT), and thiophene and derivatives thereof.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the adsorbent comprises activated carbon doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide, and wherein the adsorbent removes at least about 30% of the DBT from the diesel fuel.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising regenerating the adsorption ability of the adsorbent.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the regenerating comprises heating the adsorbent at about 300-550° C. to remove the adsorbed sulfur compounds.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent is disposed in a fixed bed or fluidized bed and the contacting involves passing the fuel through the fixed bed or fluidized bed.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the fixed bed comprises a cartridge.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the cartridge further comprises at least one adsorbent selected from the group consisting of a zeolite, activated alumina, and activated carbon.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotubes have an outer diameter ranging from about 10 nm to 30 nm.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide have a diameter ranging from about 30 nm to 80 nm.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises activated carbon doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide, and wherein the activated carbon doped with the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide has a BET surface area of greater than about 790 m 2 /g.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises activated carbon doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide, and wherein the activated carbon doped with the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide has a total pore volume of greater than about 0.39 cm 3 /g.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises multi-walled carbon nanotubes doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide, and wherein the multi-walled carbon nanotubes doped with the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide have a BET surface area of greater than about 115 m 2 /g.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises multi-walled carbon nanotubes doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide, and wherein the multi-walled carbon nanotubes doped with the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide have a total pore volume of greater than about 0.55 cm 3 /g.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide have a diameter ranging from about 50 nm to 60 nm.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent comprises activated carbon doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide, and wherein the activated carbon doped with the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide has a BET surface area of greater than about 900 m 2 /g.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoparticles of aluminum oxide form a layer covering a surface of an activated carbon sheet of the doped activated carbon and/or a graphene oxide sheet of the doped graphene oxide, and/or covering an exterior surface and/or an interior surface of the doped carbon nanotube.
20. A method of removing sulfur compounds from a fuel, comprising:
contacting the fuel with an adsorbent, wherein the adsorbent comprises a carbonaceous material doped with nanoparticles of aluminum oxide,
wherein the contacting forms a treated fuel having a reduced concentration of the sulfur compounds,
wherein the carbonaceous material is at least one selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, and graphene oxide, and
wherein the adsorbent comprises 13-38% nanoparticles of aluminum oxide and 62-87% carbonaceous material by weight based on the total weight of the adsorbent.