Comparative Studies on Reduction of Sulphur Content of Heavy Crude Oil Using KMnO4+H2O2/CH3COOH and KMnO4+H2O2/HCOOH Via Oxidative Desulphurization (ODS)

Increase by agency protocols, international organisation regulations, and government regulations in many countries, demand for uncontaminated fuel and the use of more environmentally friendly transportation fuels with minor contents of sulphur compound (SOx) and aromatics compound lead to the search of pre-sulphur. In the present time, the demand for transportation fuels has been increasing in many countries for the past two decades. The study reported the compared oxidation-extraction desulphurization of heavy crude oil using combined oxidants potassium permanganate and hydrogen peroxide (KMnO4+H2O2) over acetic acid (CH3COOH) and Formic acid (HCOOH) catalysis. The following results were obtained; formic acid (HCOOH) with higher sulphur reduction by (73.00%), while acetic acid (CH3COOH) with lower sulphur reduction by (27.02%). The study concluded that combined oxidants (KMnO4+H2O2) with formic acid (HCOOH) catalysed reaction system is better than using combined oxidants (KMnO4+H2O2) with acetic CH3COOH catalyst. Moreover DMSO was found to be a pathetic and inadequate solvent for extraction of oxidized sulphur since, it present more sulphur into the oxidised oil higher than that up fresh sample