Novel methodology toward deep desulfurization of diesel feed based on the selective elimination of nitrogen compounds

pi-Acceptor molecules covalently attached on hydrophilic support were used to selectively remove neutral nitrogen heterocyclic compounds from diesel feed by a charge transfer mechanism. Functionalized hydrophilic polymers can effectively adsorb nitrogen heterocyclic compounds with a high selectivity toward sulfur heterocyclic compounds from model and real feed. The results showed that charge transfer processes coupled with an ion-exchange process to selectively remove basic nitrogen compounds are efficient enough to produce denitrogenated feed in high yield. This study was conducted to determine whether trends in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) activity with lower sulfur content were mainly the result of lower reactivity of hindered sulfur compounds or due to nitrogen species inhibition. The inhibition effects of nitrogen compounds on HDS at conditions commonly used in the hydrotreatment of gas oil feedstocks has been experimentally determined. This study suggests that the selective removal of nitrogen compounds from gas oil strongly enhanced the deep desulfurization.