Sulfur removal from diesel fuel-contaminated methanol.

Journal Article · Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2002 · Sep. Purif. Technol.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1383-5866(01)00174-5· OSTI ID:943039

Lee, S H. D.; Kumar, R; Krumpelt, M

Methanol is considered to be a potential on-board fuel for fuel cell-powered vehicles. In current distribution systems for liquid fuels used in the transportation sector, commodity methanol can occasionally become contaminated with the sulfur in diesel fuel or gasoline. This sulfur would poison the catalytic materials used in fuel reformers for fuel cells. We tested the removal of this sulfur by means of ten activated carbons (AC) that are commercially available. Tests were conducted with methanol doped with 1 vol.% grade D-2 diesel fuel containing 0.29% sulfur, which was present essentially as 33-35 wt.% benzothiophenes (BTs) and 65-67 wt.% dibenzothiophenes (DBT). In general, coconut shell-based carbons activated by high-temperature steam were more effective at sulfur removal than coal-based carbons. Equilibrium sorption data showed linear increase in sulfur capture with the increase of sulfur concentration in methanol. Both types of carbons had similar breakthrough characteristics, with the dynamic sorption capacity of each being about one-third of its equilibrium sorption capacity. Results of this study suggest that a fixed-bed sorber of granular AC can be used, such as in refueling stations, for the removal of sulfur in diesel fuel-contaminated methanol.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: OUS; DOT
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 943039
• Report Number(s): ANL/CMT/JA-36972; SPUTFP; TRN: US201002%%523
• Journal Information: Sep. Purif. Technol., Vol. 26, Issue 2-3 ; Mar. 1, 2002; ISSN 1383-5866
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
10 SYNTHETIC FUELS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
ACTIVATED CARBON
CAPACITY
CAPTURE
COCONUTS
DIESEL FUELS
DYNAMICS
EQUILIBRIUM
FUEL CELLS
FUELS
GASOLINE
LIQUID FUELS
METHANOL
REMOVAL
SORPTION
STEAM
SULFUR
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
THIONAPHTHENES
TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
VEHICLES