Desulfurization of Model Oil via Adsorption by Copper(II) Modified Bentonite

Desulfurization of Model Oil via Adsorption by Copper(II) Modified Bentonite

In order to further reduce the sulfur content in liquid hydrocarbon fuels, a desulfurization process by adsorption for removing dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and propylmercaptan (PM) was investigated. Bentonite adsorbents modified by $CuCl_2$ for the desulfurization of model oil was investigated. The results indicated that the modified bentonite adsorbents were effective for adsorption of DMS and PM. The bentonite adsorbents were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermal analysis (TGA). The acidity was measured by FT-IR spectroscopy. Several factors that influence the desulfurization capability, including loading and calcination temperature, were studied. The maximum sulfur adsorption capacity was obtained at a Cu(II) loading of 15 wt %, and the optimum calcination temperature was $150^{\circ}C$. Spectral shifts of the ${\nu}$(C-S) and ${\nu}$(Cu-S) vibrations of the complex compound obtained by the reaction of $CuCl_2$ and DMS were measured with the Raman spectrum. On the basis of complex adsorption reaction and hybrid orbital theory, the adsorption on modified bentonite occurred via multilayer intermolecular forces and S-M (${\sigma}$) bonds.