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Influence of different nanocomposite carbon-based adsorbers on the adsorption desulfurization of dibenzothiophene in model oil and diesel fuel: a comparative study

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Abstract

Adsorption desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in model oil was conducted in a batch-process and fixed-bed system by using four adsorbers: activated charcoal (AC), activated charcoal loaded with monometallic manganese (AC/Mn), activated charcoal loaded with monometallic copper (AC/Cu), and activated charcoal loaded with bimetallic manganese and copper (AC/Mn/Cu). The adsorbers are characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM-EDS), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis. The sequence AC/Mn/Cu > AC/Mn > AC/Cu > AC has been obtained from the results of removing dibenzothiophene (DBT) in the model oil in batch-process. The adsorption capacities (qe) and sulfur removal percentages were equal to (136.78 mg g−1, 91.18%), (95.85 mg g−1, 63.9%), (83.25 mg g−1, 55.5%), (70.8 mg g−1, 47.2%). Additionally, in the fixed-bed system, AC/Mn/Cu adsorber has shown the best performance compared to the three other adsorbers and it only lost 34% of its efficiency after 300 min. The adsorption process of DBT on AC/Mn/Cu adsorber followed Pseudo-Second-Order kinetics and the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. In the adsorption desulfurization of high-sulfur commercial diesel fuel in a fixed-bed system by AC/Mn/Cu adsorber, DBT has been completely removed and 99% of total sulfur decreased to 16 ppm.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of Chemistry, at the University of Sulaimani for the opportunity to conduct this research.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, Qliasan St, Sulaimani City, 46002, Iraq

    Chawan Saiwan Othman, Yousif Mustafa Salih, Luqman Omar Hamasalih & Hozan Jalal Saleem

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  1. Chawan Saiwan Othman
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  2. Yousif Mustafa Salih
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Othman, C.S., Salih, Y.M., Hamasalih, L.O. et al. Influence of different nanocomposite carbon-based adsorbers on the adsorption desulfurization of dibenzothiophene in model oil and diesel fuel: a comparative study. Reac Kinet Mech Cat 136, 919–936 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11144-023-02378-z

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