A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering, 2016 / The sulfur removal methods from petroleum products have become an important research topic. Sulfur poisons the catalysts found in vehicles engines and it is also a major air pollutant (Nehlsen, 2005). Recent sulfur specifications require refineries to produce ultra-clean products (Ma et al., 2002). This work aims at exploring a batch adsorptive desulfurization technique using a polymer-supported imidation agent (PI) as an adsorbent. The test was carried out at atmospheric pressure and on two commercial diesel fuels with sulfur contents of 5200 (Case 1) and 670 (Case 2) mg/kg which resembles the feed and outlet streams from the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reactor respectively. The adsorbent was synthesized according to the procedure described by Shiraishi et al. (2003), BET, FTIR, SEM equipped with EDS and TGA were used for charaterization of the adsorbent. The PI was successfully synthesized and its surface area was 0.5333 m2/g which was incredibly lower than that of the PI synthesized by Fadhel (2010). Hence carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were added to the solution with the aim of improving the sulfur removal efficiency of PI. The obtained results indicated that PI with CNTs yield better results than PI without CNTs. In overall, the lowest sulfur content of 3462 mg/kg (33% removal efficiency) and 26 mg/kg (96% removal efficiency) for Case 1 and Case 2 respectively were obtained. Furthermore, the adsorbents were most effective at lower mixing rates (150 – 400 rpm), longer contact time (30 – 40 hours), practically high adsorbent amount (1 g) and moderate lower temperatures (25 – 50 ºC). The Freundlich adsorption isotherm model was the best fit to the experimental data in both Case 1 and Case 2. The kinetic model that best fitted well the experimental data is the pseudo-second-order model for both Case 1 and Case 2. The kinetic rate constant for Case 2 (4.079 x 10-3g/mg.min) was greater than that for Case 1 (6.75 x 10-5g/mg.min) thus indicating that fuel with low sulfur content has a higher sorption uptake than fuel with high sulfur content. Based on the results obtained in this study, it is suggested that the adsorption of sulfur at high sulfur content fuel is not capable to be used as a complimentary method to the HDS process. On the other hand, at low sulfur content fuel, there is an opportunity for combining this method with the traditional HDS method to achieve ultra-clean fuel. / GR2016

Acidentes ambientais vêm ocorrendo ao longo de décadas, assim, além de atitudes para evitar esses danos, são necessárias ações para remediação. Materiais tecnológicos e de baixo custo em impacto ambiental podem ser uma alternativa para o tratamento de corpos hídricos degradados, além de um caminho ambientalmente sustentável para remediação de córregos e rios urbanos. Neste contexto, buscou-se avaliar na pesquisa, materiais biossorventes para serem utilizados em acidentes de derramamento de derivados do petróleo em meio aquático. Como matéria-prima, utilizaram-se as fibras das cascas de banana, coco e laranja. Como contaminantes foram utilizados a gasolina e o óleo diesel. Os biossorventes foram produzidos por processos de secagem, ativação química, moagem, classificação granulométrica, caracterização e ensaios de sorção. Para a caracterização foram empregadas as técnicas: picnometria, termogravimetria, análise elementar, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, teor de umidade, retenção de água pela biomassa seca, hidrofobicidade, flutuabilidade, teor de cinzas, fluorescência de raios X e classificação granulométrica. Para o tratamento dos dados, desenvolveu-se um planejamento estatístico de identificação das variáveis significativas no processo de sorção, construíram-se curvas de equilíbrio e de cinética de sorção e que foram modeladas por meio das isotermas de Freundlich e Langmuir. Para estudo da influência da granulometria na sorção, os ensaios foram realizados com os grãos primeiramente de maneira generalizada e posteriormente separados por granulometrias distintas. Os resultados se mostraram promissores, sendo o coco o biossorvente mais eficiente, ele sorveu uma média de 3,94 g/g de óleo diesel e 2,80 g/g de gasolina. / Environmental accidents have been occurring for decades, then, in addition to attitudes to avoid such damages, remediation actions are required. Technological materials of low cost and environmental impact may be an alternative for the treatment of degraded water bodies, besides an environmentally sustainable way for remediation of streams and urban rivers. In this context, it was sought to evaluate, in the research, biosorbent materials to be used in accidents of spill of oil derivatives in aquatic environment. The fibers of the banana, coconut and orange crusts were used as raw material. Petrol and diesel were used as contaminants. The biosorbents were produced by processes such as, drying, chemical activation, milling, sorting, characterization and sorption tests. For the characterization, the techniques used were: picnometry, thermogravimetry, elemental analysis, electron microscopy, moisture content, water retention by dry biomass, hydrophobicity, buoyancy, ash content, X - ray fluorescence and granulometric classification. For the treatment of the data, a statistical design was developed to identify the significant variables in the sorption process, equilibrium and sorption kinetics curves were constructed and modeled, using the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. To study the influence of granulometry on sorption, the tests were performed with the grains first generalized and later separated by different granulometries. The results were promising, with coconut being the most efficient biosorbent, it had an average of 3,94 g/g of diesel oil and 2,80 g/g of gasoline.

Thesis. 1979. M.S.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alfred P. Sloan School of Management. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND DEWEY. / Bibliography: leaves 141-142. / by Henry Furlow Owsley, III. / M.S.

Acidentes ambientais vêm ocorrendo ao longo de décadas, assim, além de atitudes para evitar esses danos, são necessárias ações para remediação. Materiais tecnológicos e de baixo custo em impacto ambiental podem ser uma alternativa para o tratamento de corpos hídricos degradados, além de um caminho ambientalmente sustentável para remediação de córregos e rios urbanos. Neste contexto, buscou-se avaliar na pesquisa, materiais biossorventes para serem utilizados em acidentes de derramamento de derivados do petróleo em meio aquático. Como matéria-prima, utilizaram-se as fibras das cascas de banana, coco e laranja. Como contaminantes foram utilizados a gasolina e o óleo diesel. Os biossorventes foram produzidos por processos de secagem, ativação química, moagem, classificação granulométrica, caracterização e ensaios de sorção. Para a caracterização foram empregadas as técnicas: picnometria, termogravimetria, análise elementar, microscopia eletrônica de varredura, teor de umidade, retenção de água pela biomassa seca, hidrofobicidade, flutuabilidade, teor de cinzas, fluorescência de raios X e classificação granulométrica. Para o tratamento dos dados, desenvolveu-se um planejamento estatístico de identificação das variáveis significativas no processo de sorção, construíram-se curvas de equilíbrio e de cinética de sorção e que foram modeladas por meio das isotermas de Freundlich e Langmuir. Para estudo da influência da granulometria na sorção, os ensaios foram realizados com os grãos primeiramente de maneira generalizada e posteriormente separados por granulometrias distintas. Os resultados se mostraram promissores, sendo o coco o biossorvente mais eficiente, ele sorveu uma média de 3,94 g/g de óleo diesel e 2,80 g/g de gasolina. / Environmental accidents have been occurring for decades, then, in addition to attitudes to avoid such damages, remediation actions are required. Technological materials of low cost and environmental impact may be an alternative for the treatment of degraded water bodies, besides an environmentally sustainable way for remediation of streams and urban rivers. In this context, it was sought to evaluate, in the research, biosorbent materials to be used in accidents of spill of oil derivatives in aquatic environment. The fibers of the banana, coconut and orange crusts were used as raw material. Petrol and diesel were used as contaminants. The biosorbents were produced by processes such as, drying, chemical activation, milling, sorting, characterization and sorption tests. For the characterization, the techniques used were: picnometry, thermogravimetry, elemental analysis, electron microscopy, moisture content, water retention by dry biomass, hydrophobicity, buoyancy, ash content, X - ray fluorescence and granulometric classification. For the treatment of the data, a statistical design was developed to identify the significant variables in the sorption process, equilibrium and sorption kinetics curves were constructed and modeled, using the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. To study the influence of granulometry on sorption, the tests were performed with the grains first generalized and later separated by different granulometries. The results were promising, with coconut being the most efficient biosorbent, it had an average of 3,94 g/g of diesel oil and 2,80 g/g of gasoline.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Physiological and compositional changes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027) were monitored during, growth on various petroleum compounds in a chemically-defined medium. Growth of P. aeruginosa was observed when furnace oil, kerosene, aviation fuel, light crude oil and hexadecane were used as carbon and energy sources. A variable and extended lag period before active growth was achieved was characteristic of petroleum-grown cells as compared to glucose-grown cells. Growth on the petroleum hydrocarbons, compared with that on glucose, resulted in changes in cell lipid composition, outer membrane proteins, cell-surface hydrophobicity, surface-tension, and pH changes in the growth medium during transition from early to late-log phase. Cell composition and physiology of cells grown in the petroleum mixtures varied due to differences in the chemical composition of the material. Production of an exopolymer (characterized as a peptidoglycolipid) was associated with petroleum-grown cells but not with glucose-grown cells. The above differences illustrate some of the dynamic and physiological and biochemical changes the microorganism undergoes to access its hydrophobic carbon and energy source.

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, June, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Dec., 2007. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.