The aim of this study was to evaluate the adsorption performance of activated clay (bentonite) in
removing sulfur compounds from diesel fuel. Studies have proved that oxidative desulfurization is more
cost effective than the traditional hydrodesulfurization process. In this investigation, oxidative desulfurization
was used under mild conditions with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant, phosphotungstic acid
as a catalyst and tetraoctylammonium bromide as a phase transfer agent, to convert sulfur-containing
compounds in diesel to their sulfone forms. The sulfone compounds were then removed by adsorption
using activated clay as an adsorbent. The performance of activated clay particles in adsorbing sulfone
compounds was evaluated through equilibrium and kinetic studies. The adsorption kinetics was pseudosecond
order. The initial sulfur content of 1109.3 ppm was reduced to below 10 ppm, achieving a sulfur
removal rate of 99%. Therefore, activated clay was found to be effective in obtaining ultra-low sulfur
diese
The results verify that activated clay (bentonite) can remove
sulfone-compounds from oxidized diesel. Commercial diesel,
which initially contained 1109.3 ppm S, was successfully reduced to
an S content of 6 ppm, representing almost 100% removal, using
10 g activated clay, agitation at 300 rpm, and an operating temperature
of 363 K. The adsorption kinetics were pseudo-second
order. The adsorption of sulfone compounds onto activated clay is
dominated by chemical adsorption