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How to Remove Sulfur From Oil

Petroleum-based products are extremely useful in today̵7;s society. Raw petroleum cannot be used right out of the ground though. The various hydrocarbons within it have to be separated for different uses, and impurities have to be removed from the petroleum. The most significant impurity is sulfur. Sulfur in the oil reduces its efficiency as a fuel, interferes with the operation of catalysts, and is a major source of air pollution when burned. Petroleum products that have high concentrations of sulfur are often referred to as ̶0;sour,̶1; because of the smell, while products with little or no sulfur are called ̶0;sweet.̶1; Removing the sulfur, or hydrodesulfurization, is an important part of the refining process.

Things You'll Need

Ear plugs
Safety glasses
H2S monitor
Gas mask
Fire retardant outer clothing
Leather gloves
Leather boots
Solid or liquid cobalt-molybdenum catalyst material
Hydrogen gas
Airtight reactor capable of holding large volumes of liquid and gas
2 heat exchangers (one water-cooled)
Fired heater
Gas separator
Airtight vessel for holding hydrogen sulfide gas
Amine treating unit

Instructions

- 1
  Pump the pressure of oil up to 30 to 130 atmospheres, depending upon the quality of the petroleum. Inject the hydrogen gas into the oil container.
- 2
  Feed the oil and hydrogen mixture through a heat exchanger for preheating. Feed the mixture into a fired heater to heat it up further to 600 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 3
  Feed the vaporized mixture into the reactor containing the cobalt-molybdenum catalyst. The primary chemical reactions take place in the reactor. The sulfur in the oil mixture separates from the hydrocarbon molecules and combines with the hydrogen to form hydrogen sulfide gas.
- 4
  Cool the mixture down to 100 degrees F by sending it back through the heat exchanger, and then through the water-cooled heat exchanger. Depressurize the gas mixture to five atmospheres.
- 5
  Pump the cooled mixture into the amine treating unit. Within the unit, the hydrogen sulfide interacts with the amines and separates from the oil.
- 6
  Siphon the hydrogen sulfide off into an airtight container, and prepare the sweet oil for shipment.

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