Total Sulfur Determination in AL-Masila (Hadramout –Yemen) Crude Oil after Desulfurization using Oxidative Process

Abstract

Environmental concerns have introduced a need to remove sulfur‐containing compounds from oil. As oxidative desulfurization is conducted under very mild reaction conditions, the present research work is aimed at reducing the sulfur content of AL-Masila (Hadramout –Yemen) crude oil (0.402 wt.% sulfur content) prior to processing by subjecting oxidation with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of acetic acid as a catalyst and solvent extraction for which different solvents have been tested including acetonitrile, acetone and ethanol. The measured sulfur content of the crude oil, indicated that acetonitrile has higher ability to extract sulfur compounds (than the other two), at 3:1 solvent/oil ratio. The effects of the operating conditions (contact time, temperature, and mixing speed) on the desulfurization efficiency were investigated. The desulfurization efficiency measured at the optimum conditions: 65 ⁰C, 500 rpm, 60 min and 100 ml AL-Masila crude oil, was 39.7% corresponding to a sulfur content of 0.242 wt.%.

Cite as

Adel A. M. Saeed, & Galal A. Ahmed. (2021). Total Sulfur Determination in AL-Masila (Hadramout –Yemen) Crude Oil after Desulfurization using Oxidative Process. Research and Reviews: Journal of Environmental Sciences, 3(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5553769