New Composite Mesoporous Nano-Catalysts for Clean Fuel Produced by the Oxidative Desulfurization Process

Clean fuel production with strict limit on toxic contaminants is one of the most important aims for petroleum refinery industry regarding the improvement of environmental conditions. In this study, oxidative desulfurization (ODS) process has been used to achieve such goal. For this purpose, a new and efficient synthetic composite mesoporous nano-catalyst has been designed by enhancing morphological and mechanical properties of gamma alumina (γ-Al₂O₃) on a carbon nano fiber (CNF) as multiple supports. Four different catalysts based on different amount of CNF have been designed. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), X-Ray fluorescence (XRF), crash strength test, thermal gravimetric examination (TGA), and surface area (BET) have been used to characterize the catalysts. The catalyst with 10% loading of CNF (CAT-3) has been found to increase the tensile strength by more than 200% compared to the CNF-free sample (CAT-4). Then, a series of experiments has been conducted in a batch ODS reactor with air as an oxidant and light gas oil (LGO) as a real feedstock to evaluate the effectiveness of the designed catalysts and the performance of the reactor. The new catalyst has been clearly shown to be a significant factor in sulfur removal resulting in a clean fuel.