Recent Advances in Simultaneous Desulfurization and Denitrogenation of Fuel Oil

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent methods to remove sulfur and nitrogen from fuel oil in a more efficient and eco-friendly way.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review and comparison of hydrogenation and non-hydrogenation methods for simultaneous desulfurization and denitrogenation.

Findings

Hydrogenation methods face mutual inhibition between desulfurization and denitrogenation reactions.

Non-hydrogenation methods offer better operating conditions and higher removal efficiency.

Adsorption, oxidation, and biological methods show promise for future clean fuel technologies.

Abstract

The elimination of nitrogen and sulfur compounds from liquid fuel is a critical aspect of reducing environmental pollution. However, the widely utilized hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation technologies require harsh operating conditions. Moreover, when operated simultaneously, these processes induce mutual competition and inhibition between the two reactions, thereby limiting the actual removal efficiency. Conversely, non-hydrogenation technologies offer substantial advantages in terms of operating conditions and provide high levels of desulfurization and denitrogenation. Nevertheless, the presence of nitrogen-containing compounds has also been demonstrated to engender competition and inhibition. It is imperative to develop environmentally friendly technologies that can simultaneously desulfurize and denitrogenate. This paper reviews research progress in this field over the past decade, providing a detailed assessment and comparison of hydrogenation and non-hydrogenation technologies, including adsorption, extraction, oxidation and biological methods. Furthermore, it considers future research directions. The article’s aim is to furnish a novel perspective on the development of clean fuel sources and to investigate more economical, sustainable, and commercially viable desulfurization and denitrogenation methods.

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