Desulfurization of Real Fuel Oils by Extraction with Ionic Liquids

作者:Asumana, Charles; Haque, Md Razibul; Yu, Liang; Wu, Xinying; Chen, Xiaochun; Yu, Guangren*
来源:Separation Science and Technology (Philadelphia), 2013, 48(17): 2582-2588.
DOI:10.1080/01496395.2013.804559

摘要

Aromatic 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([C(4)mim][N(CN)(2)]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([C(2)mim][N(CN)(2)]) ionic liquids are tested for their performance in the extractive desulfurization of real FCC gasoline and diesel fuel. [C(4)mim][N(CN)(2)] has proven to be more effective than [C(2)mim][N(CN)(2)] in removing sulfur from fuels and was thus selected to undergo a series of further tests. A competitive desulfurization efficiency of nearly 40% and 30% was realized with [C(4)mim][N(CN)(2)] for diesel fuel and gasoline, respectively, in a single extraction at <1h, 25 degrees C, and 1:1(w/w)IL:fuel. The influence of IL:fuel mass ratio, temperature, and multiple extractions on S-extraction efficiency is investigated, and the result tends to favor large-scale industrial application. This high efficiency obtained at low temperature, together with the insensitivity of the Nernst partition coefficient on desulfurization efficiency, is industrially favorable because not much energy and cost are required. The influence of mass ratios is not obvious, but to some degree, the Nernst partition coefficients depend on the mass ratio, suggesting that this extraction is not a completely physically-determined extraction. This work offers a significant contribution to the production of clean oils by extraction with ionic liquids.