Desulfurization of Gasoil by Using Ultrasonic Waves

Environmental restrictions on emission due to fossil fuel combustion have pushed refiners to decrease the sulfur content of products like gasoil and gasoline. The simple concept of ODS method has drawn the attention of many research groups in last few years. Some advantages of this method comparing to other new ones include its simplicity, mild operation condition, low investment cost, and no hydrogen consumption. Many aspects of this process have been investigated; therefore, some different reaction systems are developed. The basis of ODS is oxidizing the organo-sulfur compounds to their sulfones and then removing sulfones from hydrocarbon media. The combination of new technical facilities and traditional chemical processes tend to improve the chemical reaction systems. In this study, by using the ultrasonic waves, the sulfur content of a gasoil sample is decreased to an acceptable limit by Euro environmental laws. Optimum parameters for maximum desulfurization are determined by the analysis of experimental design results. Applying the ultrasonic waves and using optimized parameters, more than 90 percent desulfurization and less than 5 percent hydrocarbon losses are achieved.