Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences 32 (2020) 229–235

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Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences

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Catalytic and thermal desulfurization of light naphtha fraction

Mohammmed Nsaif Abbas, Suha Anwer Ibrahim ⇑
Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Iraq

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The purpose of this research is to test thermal treatment, with white egg shell (WES) catalyst and with
Received 10 December 2018 granular activated carbon (GAC) as a new approach for the desulfurization process of light naphtha frac-
Accepted 28 August 2019 tion (LN). Several design parameters were used to determine the factors that give the best removal of sul-
Available online 29 August 2019
fur content from light naphtha in batch mode. The operating conditions studied were hydrogen peroxide
to LN ratio, pH of the solution, agitation speed, temperature, contact time and the catalyst weight. The
Keywords: results show that the thermal desulfurization (TDS) gives lower conversion while the catalytic desulfur-
Catalyst
ization of GAC gives higher removing of sulfur compounds from light naphtha. The efficiency for desul-
Egg sheel
GAC
furization is inversely proportional to solution pH and is directly proportional to all other design
Sulfur parameters. Thus, it is recommended to develop and use this approach for producing petroleum fractions
Naphtha of low sulfur content and from the other hand used to get ride of egg shell and sulfur from petroleum
Desulfurization fractions simultaneously by a suitable, benefit, economic and eco-friendly method accessing to Zero
ZRL Residue Level (ZRL).
Ó 2019 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University. This is an open access
article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
2. Materials and methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
2.1. Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
2.1.1. White Egg Shell (WES) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
2.1.2. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
2.1.3. Light Naphtha Fraction Feedstock (LN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
2.2. Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
2.2.1. Experimental Procedure of Desulfurization Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
2.2.2. Determination of sulfur content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
3. Result and discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
3.1. Effect of hydrogen peroxide to light naphtha (H2O2/LN) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
3.2. Effect of pH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
3.3. Effect of agitation speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
3.4. Effect of temperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
3.5. Effect of contact time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
3.6. Effect of catalyst amount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (M.N. Abbas), [email protected] (S.A. Ibrahim).
Peer review under responsibility of King Saud University.

Production and hosting by Elsevier

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jksues.2019.08.001
1018-3639/Ó 2019 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
230 M.N. Abbas, S.A. Ibrahim / Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences 32 (2020) 229–235

4. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Declaration of Competing Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

1. Introduction remain suspended in the oil product is hydrodesulfurization pro-

cess (Moosavi et al., 2012). The hydrodesulfurization is a conver-
Crude oil is extracted from the ground and has a greenish black sion process (with a layer of catalyst under a certain range of
thick liquid body and mainly, it is a complex mixture of various high temperature and pressure) of sulfur in sulfur compounds,
hydrocarbons, in addition to it contains amounts of sulfur, nitro- nitrogen in nitrogen compounds and oxygen in oxygen compounds
gen, oxygen and other metal compounds which include, for exam- to hydrogen sulfide gas, ammonia and water vapor respectively
ple, nickel, vanadium, iron and copper (Abdullah, 2003). Despite which can be easily disposed of and separated from petroleum dis-
the recent arrival of modern technology from alternative sources tillate (Yu et al., 2005, 2007). As well as converting of unsaturated
of energy, despite the pollution that accompanies the extraction hydrocarbons such as olefins into saturated hydrocarbons, which
and production and refining of crude oil in addition to the con- lead to increase the oxidation resistance of petroleum products
sumption of its derivatives, despite the fluctuation of prices, which and reduction of aromatic content through their hydrogenation
tend to rise, but it cannot for any economy (developing or devel- into paraffin and paraffin (Bamufleh, 2009). Hydrodesulfurization
oped) dispensed with crude oil. Crude oil cannot be used directly process was introduced in the middle of the 20th century and
as a fuel unless it passes through many stages (Jarallah, 2004). began gradually to grow until the capacity of the hydrodesulfuriza-
From these stages the purification stage and the separation phase tion units accounted for 6% of the total refining capacity in 1976.
of the oil components from each other. The need for crude oil prod- Today, it represents 50% of the total refining capacity and became
ucts has been increasing significantly in the global market. The an important and integral part of crude oil refining operations in
consumption of these products, especially fuel such as gasoline, any modern refinery (Al Zubaidy et al., 2013; Ibrahim and Jabbar,
kerosene, gas oil, jet fuel and others, amounted to 40%–50% of total 2015). The reactions of hydrodesulfurization process occur on the
oil consumption, and exceeded in 2000, 70%. Therefore, it was nec- surface of the catalyst, which is often cobalt or nickel molybdenum
essary to increase the production of distillates efficiently and high supported on alumina at high temperature and pressure, and the
quality (Jarallah, 2004; Nasir, 2012). The oil derivatives are pro- catalyst in the hydrodesulfurization process whose main purpose
duced in very large facilities called oil refineries. The separation is to reduce the sulfur content is cobalt-molybdenum/alumina
process is carried out using distillation towers that are over 30 m (Jaed, 2014; Cervantes-Gaxiola et al., 2013; Dasgupta et al., 2013;
high. The tower contains more than 25 units to separate the vari- Zhou et al., 2009). The goal of this paper is to reduce the sulfur con-
ous oil components, which are distributed according to their boil- tent in light naphtha (one of the petroleum fractions) directly
ing points between the top and bottom of the tower. The low- through the adsorption technique by catalysts which were (white
boiling liquid vapors condense at the top and at the bottom the egg shells and activated carbon) and compare the results with
high-boiling components called asphaltenes (Jaed, 2014). Although the thermal treatment only for the light naphtha using different
these high-boiling components are separated and separated the operating conditions of pH, moderate temperature, contact time,
petroleum compounds each other, they are not suitable for use and catalyst amount at atmospheric pressure in a batch shaking
as fuel, especially for light vehicles such as naphtha and kerosene. unit. This method introduces a novel method in the treatment of
These petroleum fractions contain a high proportion of sulfur, oxy- petroleum fractions especially and crude oil in general and the dis-
gen, nitrogen compounds and metals and pollutants that reduce posal of toxic sulfur and contaminated using the adsorption tech-
the performance of these petroleum fractions (Alaei Kadijani and nology by cheap and efficient catalysts.
Narimani, 2016). The presence of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen com-
pounds and metal compounds in crude oil have a significant nega- 2. Materials and methods
tive impact on the quality of oil derivatives in addition to the
damage they cause. Sulfur compounds lead to different types of 2.1. Materials
environmental pollution through contaminating the atmosphere
with oxides produced during combustion and forming sulfur diox- 2.1.1. White Egg Shell (WES)
ins, which are subsequently oxidized with UV, to sulfur oxides and White Egg Shell (WES) was collected from domestic use and
then react with the air-water vapor to form sulfuric acid, which some restaurant in Baghdad. Befor WES used as catalytic media,
leads to many diseases after inhalation of air such as asthma and it was firstly washed with distilled water to remove any dirts
shortness of breath (Campos-Martin et al., 2010). As well as pollu- and fine impurities may be found in it, then treated with 2 ml of
tion of soils with acid substances, and also shortens the life of the 6% white vinegar per each gram of WES overnight to bleach any
machines where it reacts with the metal surfaces and leads to cor- colour. After that it was filtered, dried at sunlight for 24 h and
rosion of pipes, machinery and equipment in addition to the smell the adsorbent thus processed was used in small piece size, i.e.
(Jaed, 2014). The existence of sulfur, nitrogen and oxygen com- crashed by hand to about 0.25 mm width. The surface area of
pounds in the crude oil is undesirable because it reduces the result- WES was measured by BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller) mothod.
ing response of gasoline for the additive added to improve the Characteristics of WES were presented in Table 1 below.
octane number, also the formation of pigments affect the color of
the petroleum product and lead to poisoning the catalyst in the 2.1.2. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
petroleum refinery, which leads to the lack of effectiveness (Alaei Granular activated carbon GAC of commercial grade, used in the
Kadijani and Narimani, 2016; Campos-Martin et al., 2010). There- current work, was supplied by Unicarbo, Italians and was purch-
fore, in order to obtain products of high efficiency and quality it used from local markets in Baghdad. Before used as catalyst for
is necessary to clear the crude oil or sections of these compounds. desulfurization process, the GAC was washing carfully with dis-
One of the well-known processes that the petroleum distillate tilled water until eliminate the powder of fine particles, dried in
undergoes to dispose of sulfur and some metal compounds that an oven at 110 °C overnight for completely removing of any
 M.N. Abbas, S.A. Ibrahim / Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences 32 (2020) 229–235 231

Table 1 increase the oxidation process of sulfur compounds, while the

Characterization properties of WES. using of 50 ml deionized water was to increase the volume of the
Chemical Compositiuon Physical Properties polar phase, and thereby enhances the phase transfer of the corre-
Compound wt % Property Value sponding sulfonic species formed on oxidation of sulfur com-
pounds. The aqueous mixture was heated and shaking at desire
CaO 95.50 pH 6.38
SO3 0.570 Bulk Density, g/cm3 0.802
temperature and agitation speed. The catalytic desulfurization pro-
P2O5 0.240 Relative Density g/cm3 1.075 cess was performed at the same operating conditions, but differ
Al2O3 0.020 Porosity 0.254 from the previous process only by adding a catalysts (WES and
SiO2 0.070 Particle Size, mm 0.25–0.50 GAC) in a suitable amount. The two desulfurization processes were
MgO 0.020 Pore Volume, cm3/g 0.253
continue for wanted period and finally the sample was withdraw-
Na2O 0.160 BET Surface Area, m2/g 25.50
NiO 0.001 ing and filtered for in Whitmann paper No.3 twicely to measure the
Fe2O3 0.050 sulfur content (at less triplicate to ensure from the precision of
SrO 0.150 results) by ANTEK 9000N/S Analyser or X-ray Fluorescence (as
LOI 3.219
described in the following sections) and determine the efficiency
of desulfurization process. The operating conditions for these
desulfurization processes were varying the ratio of Hydrogen per-
moisture and finally stored in a desiccator until using. The physio- oxide to light naphtha (H2O2/LN) ratio, pH of sulfur solution (pH),
chemical characteristic properties of GAC were listed in Table 2 agitation speed of water bath shaker (uA), amount of catalysts
below. (Wcat), desulfurization temperature (T) and contact time (t)
between (1–5), (1–5), (100–500 ± 1) rpm, (0.1–2.5) g, (25–
2.1.3. Light Naphtha Fraction Feedstock (LN) 85 ± 0.5) °C and (10–180) minutes respectively. The experiments
The samples of light naphtha fraction that used in this research were achieved by varying all above parameters for the same initial
were supplied from Al-Dura Refinery. The properties of light naph- concentrations (Co) of light naphtha at 14 ppm and at constant
tha fraction are listed in the Table 3 below. pressure at 1 atm.

2.2. Methods 2.2.2. Determination of sulfur content

The efficiency of sulfur desulfurization efficiency from different
2.2.1. Experimental Procedure of Desulfurization Process petroleum fractions using desulfurization technique catalysis by
The desulfurization process were performed by two parts. The WES was calculated by the following equation:
first part was thermal desulfurization (TDS) via thermal treatment
only, while the other part included catalytic desulfurization via C re C in  C out
%R ¼ ¼
addition of catalysts which were White Egg Shell (WES) and Grau- C in C in
lated Activated Carbon (GAC). All experiments of the two parts was
where
carried out in an orbital water bath shaker (Innova4080, The New
Brunswick Scientific Company) and at different operating condi-
C in : sulfur intial concentration in the petroleum fraction before
tions. The experimental procedure of desulfurization process was
desulfurization
started by adding 100 ml of light naphtha fraction and hydrogen
C re : sulfur desulfurized concentration from the petroleum frac-
peroxide H2O2 solution at required ratio in 250 ml Erlenmeyer
tion due to desulfurization
flask. Formic acid and deionized water were added together to
C out : sulfur residual concentration of the petroleum fraction
the flask. Formic acid was used to adjust the pH of aqueous solu-
after desulfurization
tion and it interacts with hydrogen peroxide to form performic acid
which can oxidize the sulfur compounds. Thus the acid will
The desulfurized concentration was determined by ANTEK
9000N/S Analyser according to ASTM D-5453 and X-ray Fluores-
Table 2 cence (EDXRF i.e. energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, Lab X-
Characterization properties of GAC. 3000) according to ASTM D-4294 to calculate sulfur content in
the petroleum fractions subjected to desulfurization processes for
Chemical Compositiuon Physical Properties
less than 500 ppm and higher than 500 ppm respectively.
Element wt % Property Value
C 84.15 pH 7.65
O 9.22 Bulk Density, g/cm3 0.635 3. Result and discussion
Ca 0.32 Relative Density g/cm3 1.728
Fe 2.56 Porosity 0.6827 The efficiency of thermal desulfurization and catalytic desulfu-
K 1.79 Particle Size, mm 0.75–1.00 rization processes to remove sulfur from light naphtha fraction via
Mg 0.10 Pore Volume, cm3/g 0.6235
Mo 0.31 BET Surface Area, m2/g 780.528
batch mode using water bath shaker in at various parameters that
Na 0.86 mentioned in procedure section. Thus, the results obtained are
P 0.50 explained as follows.
Si 0.19

3.1. Effect of hydrogen peroxide to light naphtha (H2O2/LN)

Table 3 The results showed that, the percentage desulfurization effi-

Properties of Light Naphtha Fractions Used.
ciency was increased when the ratio of hydrogen peroxide to light
Property Value naphtha (H2O2/LN) was increased too, (i.e. the volume of H2O2
Specific gravity @ 15.6 °C 0.692 increased with constant volume of light naphtha 100 ml) until (3.0
API 72.978 in thermal desulfurization and 4.0 in catalytic desulfurization)
Sulphur content (ppm) 14 when all other variables were constant at the optimum values.
20% distillate, °C 51
While the conversion of sulfur was decrease after that values, as
232 M.N. Abbas, S.A. Ibrahim / Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences 32 (2020) 229–235

shown in Fig. 1. This result may explain due to the significant role is favourable for sulfure oxidation, so the oxidation reaction will
of (H2O2/LN) ratio on the production of more hydroxyl (OH) ions behave at best behaviour and give better conversion of sulfur com-
and performic acid (CH2O3) which will increase when the volume pounds. From another hand, the low value of pH provided a suta-
of H2O2 is increased. So, the oxidation process of sulfur compounds bile surrounding for the reaction between formic acid and H2O2
in the light naphtha fraction will increase in both two desulfuriza- to produce preformic acid which will promte the sulfur oxidation
tion processes. Thus, the concentration of sulfur in the light naph- process. in addition, the concentration of performic acid increased
tha will decrese leading to increase the efficiency of desulfurization with decreasing the pH of solution leading to catalysing H2O2 to
process. But increasing the ratio of H2O2/LN byond (i.e higher than form preformic acid via active oxygen free radical on the surface
3.0 for thermal desulfurization and higher than 4.0 in catalytic of WES and GAC catalysts which considered a promoter for sulfur
desulfurization by both WES and GAC catalysts) will increasing oxidation process. this results are in agreement perfectly with
the acidity of the solution due to the high concentration of H2O2 (Yu et al., 2005).
and in the same time, lead to cleavage hydrogen peroxide itself
to oxygen. So, the formation of formic acid will be affected and 3.3. Effect of agitation speed
the efficiency of sulfure conversion will be decreased. Therefore,
ratio of H2O2/LN is considered as an important factor affecting on Agitation effect was studied by varying the speed of agitation
both thermal and catalytic desulfurization process and the well from 100 to 500 rpm, while leaving the other variables constant
observation of H2O2/LN ratio must be put in account. This results at optimum conditions. The effect of agitation speed on the desul-
have ideal agreement with (Jaed, 2014; Zhou et al., 2009). furization efficiency of sulfur compounds is presented in Fig. 3. As
can be seen from Fig. 3, the desulfurization efficiency from solution
3.2. Effect of pH are increased with increasing agitation speed (i.e. proportional
relation). This can be clarifying due to two facts; the first one is
The results explained that the desulfurization efficiency content the increase of agitation speed, improves the diffusion of sulfur
from light naphtha in both thermal and catalytic desulfurization into the solution (in thermal desulfurization case) and from the solu-
processes was decreased when the pH of solution was increased, tion towards the catalyst surface (in catalytic desulfurization case),
keeping all other variables were constant at optimum values, as which have empty pore that can attached the suflur by the func-
shown in Fig. 2. This decrease in sulfur conversion can be tional groups on its surfaces. The other fact that with increased
explained as follows: The low pH values (provided by formic acid) the turbulence, the molecules of sulfur copounds will be have

Fig. 1. Effect of hydrogen peroxide to light naphtha ratio (H2O2/LN) on the percentage desulfurization efficiency at optimum conditions.

Fig. 2. Effect of solution pH on the percentage desulfurization efficiency at optimum conditions.

 M.N. Abbas, S.A. Ibrahim / Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences 32 (2020) 229–235 233

Fig. 3. Effect of agitation speed on the percentage desulfurization efficiency at optimum conditions.

random moving and the chance of react with preformic acid will within the internal structure of the catalyst media enabling sulfur
increase or the thickness of boundary layer around the particles ions to penetrate further. It was indicated that sulfur conversion by
of catalyst is decrease. So, it can more adsorbed and react at the oxidation increased with increasing feed temperature from 25 to
catalyst pore. Also it’s obvious from the same figure that the max- 80 °C or more. This effect may be due to the fact that at higher tem-
imum desulfurization efficiency was reach at 350 rpm (in thermal perature an increase in active sites occurs due to bond rupture.
desulfurization case) and at 400 rpm (in catalytic desulfurization Therefore, the efficiency of removing sulfur compounds from light
case), but beyond these values there are no further increase in naphtha will increasing (Jaed, 2014; Ibrahim and Jabbar, 2015).
the desulfurization efficiency of the sulfure content. This means
that for thermal desulfurization case the optimum speed is 3.5. Effect of contact time
350 rpm. While the optimum speed is 400 rpm in catalytic desul-
furization case and byond that values there is no impact for agita- The results demonstrated that when the desulfurization process
tion on the sulfur compounds. This results are in perfect agreement time of sulfur in light naphtha increased the percentage desulfuriza-
with (Jaed, 2014; Al Zubaidy et al., 2013; Ibrahim and Jabbar, tion efficiency increased at constant other variables as shown in
2015). Fig. 5. This may be due to the knowing fact that when the time of
desulfurization increasing and all other variables remaining constant
3.4. Effect of temperature (at optimum values), the solution spends a longer time than that
spend it when the time decreased, so the sulfur content will treated
The results demonstrated that when the temperature of system thermaly or contact with the surface of catalysts for more period.
was increased, the percentage desulfurization efficiency was Therefore, it can convert more sulfur molecules or the catalyst can
increased too, maintaining all other variables were constant at uptake more amount of sulfur from solution. Thus, the percentage
optimum factors, as shown in Fig. 4. The production rate of active desulfurization efficiency from light naptha solution will increased.
oxygen species and the oxidation of sulfur copmounds are pro-
moted as the reaction temperature increases. Therefore, it is 3.6. Effect of catalyst amount
advantageous to take a suitable high reaction temperature. The for-
mation of active oxygen species may accelerate the oxidation reac- The results elucidated that when the catalyst amounts were
tion of sulfur, when the reaction temperature increased from 25 to increased, the percentage desulfurization efficiency was increased
80 °C. From the other hands, The effect of temperature is fairly too at constant all other variables optimally, as shown in Fig. 6. The
common and increasing the mobility of the acidic ion solution. Fur- increased of WES or GAC weight meaning increasing the surface
thermore, increasing temperatures may produce a swelling effect area of catalyst for adsorption and therefore reaction. Hence

Fig. 4. Effect of temperature on the percentage desulfurization efficiency at optimum conditions.

234 M.N. Abbas, S.A. Ibrahim / Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences 32 (2020) 229–235

Fig. 5. Effect of contact time on the percentage desulfurization efficiency at optimum conditions.

Fig. 6. Effect of catalyst weight on the percentage desulfurization efficiency at optimum conditions.

increased the number of active sites in the catalyst surface i.e. of 120 min. While the maximum desulfurization efficiency for
increased the availability of binding sites for reaction and conse- catalytic desulfurization was 56.78 and 81.73 using WES and
quently increase the conversion of sulfur compounds efficiency GAC as a catalyst respectively at (H2O2/LN) ratio of 4, pH of 1,
on both catalyst types. This lead to increase the ability of catalyst agitation speed of 400 rpm, temperature of 80 and 85 °C and
to adsorb and react greater amount of sulfur molecules from light contact time of 150 min.
naphtha and ultimately increased the percentage desulfurization 5. The percentage desulfurization efficiency was increased with
efficiency from liquid solution, i.e. decrease the sulfur content in decreeing pH while it was increasing with increasing the rest
light naphtha. parameters for the sulfur content of light naphtha of 14 ppm.
6. It can use WES as acatalystic material to remove the sulfur from
4. Conclusion light naphtha, thus we are getting rid of two pollutants by one
material in an economic, simple and eco-friendly method
The following conclusions can be drawn: accessing to ZRL.

1. The thermal desulfurization showed a poor ability to remove

sulfur compounds from light naphtha fraction using batch
Declaration of Competing Interest
mode by water bath shaker. While the catalytic desulfurization
process gives a conversion of 2–3.5 higher than thermal at the
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
same operating conditions.
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
2. It can use available and simple materials such as WES and GAC
to influence the work reported in this paper.
to use as an active catalyst for catalysis the thermal desulfuriza-
tion without needed to replace the unit or change any operating
conditions References
3. The GAC gives higher conversion for desulfurization process
than WES. Abdullah, G.H., 2003. Preparation of Catalyss Used in Hydrogenation Unit. Chemical
4. Maximum desulfurization efficiency was 23.71% for thermal Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Tikrit, Iraq. MSc.
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