Removal of organic sulfur from hydrocarbon resources using ionic liquids

To develop an advanced desulfurization process that can be carried out under mild conditions without pressurized hydrogen or catalysis that has been evaluated for the extraction of thiophenic sulfur from a model fuel using the ionic liquids, 1-alkyl-3-alkyl imidazolium alkyl sulfate at room temperature was investigated. Six types of halogen-free ionic liquids with different alkyl chain lengths were prepared. The extraction yield of dibenzothiophene was higher than that of diphenylsulfide and diphenyldisulfide. The extraction yield of dibenzothiophene increased linearly with an increase in the length of alkyl chains and the mass ratio of the ionic liquid to the model fuel. The effect because of the change in the type of solvent was not appreciable, and dibenzothiophene was efficiently removed regardless of whether tetralin, benzene, or n-dodecane was used as the solvent.