Liquid phase organic sulfur removal from logistic fuels using microfibrous entrapped adsorbents

PETR 118

Hongyun Yang, yangho1@auburn.edu, Sachin Nair, nairsac@auburn.edu, and Bruce J. Tatarchuk, brucet@eng.auburn.edu. Center for Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing, Auburn University, Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn, AL 36849
Several different bed configurations of Cu-Y zeolite adsorbents have been tested at room temperature for selective benzothiophene removal from n-octane. A packed bed followed by a thin polishing layer of glass-fiber-entrapped adsorbent (known as composite bed) significantly improved the breakthrough capacity of a packed bed of similar sized Cu-Y adsorbent. At 1 ppmw breakthrough, the composite bed has a capacity of 22.3mg sulfur/g adsorbent; twice that of a packed bed of 100-150um particles. Pressure drop tests showed that small particles yielded a high pressure drop (3.6 psi/cm of bed thickness) at a low face velocity of 0.12cm/min for 100-150um particles, while the pressure drop of 0.8-1.4mm particles and 1/16 inch extrudates are negligible even at a higher face velocity of 1 cm/min. The breakthrough test showed that the saturation capacity of a packed bed made of 0.8-1.4mm particles is about 80% of the capacity of a packed of 100-150um particles.