Influence of Desulfurization Methods on the Phenol Content and Pattern in Gas Oil and Diesel Fuel

Abstract

Performance characteristics of fuels, such as storage stability and lubricity, are determined mainly by the polar species of the fuel, among them the alkylated phenols. Here, we analyze gas oil and diesel samples, which have been successively desulfurized with different methods, and compare the phenol content and the phenol alkylation pattern of these materials. Because phenols occur in the low parts per million range in the fuel, very sensitive and selective analytical methods are needed for their determination. A derivatization of phenols to ferrocene esters followed by analysis by gas chromatography with both atomic emission detection (iron emission) and mass spectrometric detection is used in this work. Individual concentrations of smaller phenols with up to three substituent carbon atoms and sum parameters were determined. The classical hydrodesulfurization was found to lower the phenol content more drastically than the adsorptive desulfurization. Especially the larger alkylphenols are removed nearly completely during hydrodesulfurization, while they are almost unaffected by adsorptive desulfurization on a Ni/NiO sorbent.

Influence of Phenols on the Oxidation Stability of Home Heating Oils/FAME Blends

“…Fuels and heating oils are nowadays deeply desulfurized to comply with legal requirements, for example according to DIN EN 590 in Europe and DIN 51603-1 in Germany. In the dominating hydrodesulfurization process, phenols have been shown to be removed along with the sulfur containing compounds . When a middle distillate was hydrodesulfurized to successively lower sulfur concentrations, the content of the phenols also gradually diminished.…”

“…In the dominating hydrodesulfurization process, phenols have been shown to be removed along with the sulfur containing compounds. 25 When a middle distillate was hydrodesulfurized to successively lower sulfur concentrations, the content of the phenols also gradually diminished. This efficient removal of the phenols is bound to influence the stability of the heating oils as shown here.…”

The Instability of Storage of Middle Distillate Fuels: A Review

“…Hydrodesulfurization makes the middle distillate fuel more stable comparative to adsorptive desulfurization because of removal of polar species such as alkylated phenols. Kolbe et al (2009) analyzed the phenol content and phenol alkylation pattern of gas-oil and diesel fuel through derivatization of phenols to ferrocene esters followed by analysis by gas chromatography with both atomic emission detection and mass spectrometric detection after desufurization Downloaded by [University of California, San Diego] at 19:42 04 January 2015 and found the lowest concentration of larger alkyl phenols in hydrodesulfurization while they are almost unaffected by adsorptive desulfurization on a Ni/NiO sorbent.…”

Atomic spectrometry update. Industrial analysis: metals, chemicals and advanced materials

“…Polar species present in fuel, including alkylated phenols, can influence storage stability and lubricity. Kolbe et al 74 compared phenol content and phenol alkylation pattern of fuels which had been desulfurised using different methods. Sensitive and selective analytical methods were required as phenols occur at low part per million levels.…”