Process for Oxidative Desulfurization of Liquid Fuels

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This invention describes an improved method and apparatus for removing sulfur from liquid fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and heating oil, by oxidatively converting organic sulfur compounds into water-soluble products using a homogeneous polyoxometallate catalyst. The process involves mixing the fuel with a water phase containing the catalyst, where sulfur compounds are oxidized at the phase interface and transferred out of the fuel, resulting in a reduced sulfur content that meets strict environmental standards.

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• Desulfurization of petroleum-derived fuels like gasoline and diesel to comply with environmental regulations.
• Treatment of heavier oils (e.g., kerosene, vacuum residue oils) in refineries for cleaner combustion.
• Desulfurization of biofuels such as biodiesel and plant oils for renewable energy applications.
• Fuel upgrading for use in ships, airplanes, vehicles, and stationary power plants requiring low-sulfur fuel.
• On-site retrofitting in fuel processing facilities or distribution centers to meet regional legal sulfur limits.

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• Achieves very low sulfur levels (e.g., <10 ppmw), exceeding existing environmental and regulatory standards.
• Enables efficient removal of both common and less reactive sulfur compounds without expensive or toxic solvents.
• Avoids high energy costs and severe conditions required by traditional hydrodesulfurization (HDS) processes.
• Catalyst is regenerated in situ with oxygen from air, reducing chemical consumption and operational complexity.
• Simplicity and integration of the oxidation and extraction steps reduce costs and apparatus requirements.
• Reduces environmental impact by enabling cleaner-burning fuels and lower sulfur emissions.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to processes for oxidative desulfurization of liquid fuels, wherein a reaction system comprising a fluid containing a homogeneous polyoxometallate catalyst is provided as a first phase (5) and a liquid fuel containing organic sulfur compounds is provided as a second phase (9), wherein the first phase (5) and the second phase (9) are commixed to form a phase interface (15), wherein the organic sulfur compounds contained in the second phase (9) are catalytically converted into oxidation products at the phase interface (15) and wherein the oxidation products are transferred from the phase interface (15) into the first phase (5), thereby depleting the second phase (9) of sulphur. The invention further relates to a desulfurization apparatus (1) for liquid fuels which is set up and configured for performance of the process.