| Liquid fuels are ideal energy source because of its high energy density, readily availability, safety, and ease of storage. However, to avoid poisoning the pollution control catalyst of vehicles, the sulfur content should be below 10 ppmw. The sulfuric compounds present in the fuels are also harmful to human health and bring acidic rain. Desulfurization of transportation fuels have already been a serious problem to be solved. The U.S. Environment Protection Agency demands reductions of sulfur contents of the diesel fuel from the current average of 500 to 15 ppmw by 2007, and from 350 to 30 ppmw for gasoline. Similar stringent regulations are being implemented in Europe and Japan. Pursuit of sulfur-free fuels have been a target of all the countries in the world.AÏ€-complexion adsorbent used for reducing the total sulfur content of fuels, SBA-15/Cu(I), was prepared using SBA-15 as the substrate, on whose surface CuCl was dispersed by thermal diffusion. Such adsorbent remains the 2-dimensional ordered structure as was proven by examinations with XRD, SEM, TEM analyses and N2 adsorption at 77 K. Three model fuels were prepared to represent different types of fuels with respect to the content of aromatic components. The aliphatic fuel was modeled by n-octane. The aromatic fuel was modeled by benzene. The mixed type fuel was modeled by a mixture of 80 wt% n-octane and 20 wt% benzene. Thiophene was used as the representative of the sulfuric components of fuels. The advantage of using SBA-15 as the substrate is its higher sulfur capacity and better adaptability to aromatic components in comparison with other adsorbents previously studied. The breakthrough and saturation capacity for the three type fuels are 6.48wt% and 8.52wt%,1.14wt% and 3.92wt%,0.95wt% and 3.11wt%, respectively. The saturated adsorbent was regenerated on heating at 623 K followed by reactivation in helium at 723 K. About 90% of the initial sulfur capacity was recovered after regeneration.
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