aInorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK
bR&DC, Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Saudi Arabia
cChemical Engineering Department, Imperial College, London, UK
Abstract:
A simplified oxidative desulfurizataion (ODS) catalytic system composed of Na2WO4, 30% H2O2 and CH3CO2H has been found suitable for the deep removal of sulfur in diesel. By combining ODS and methanol extraction, the sulfur level in a commercial diesel has been reduced from 1100 ppm to 40 ppm. Treatment of model solutions of octane containing dibenzothiophene and 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene with our ODS system shows 100% conversion of the thiophenes to sulfones at 70 °C in less than 1 h.