Home / Vol. 26 (2026)

Desulfurization of Libyan Fuel Oil by Solvent Extraction

Abdulathim S. Juroud

Petroleum Research Center, Tripoli, Libya

DOI: 10.68482/prj.2026.26.005 · Published Oct 2026 · Section: Chemistry · Pages: 47–56

Abstract

New strict environmental regulations to reduce sulfur content in liquid fuel have been established. Thiophene derivatives can be considered as the key substances to be separated from liquid fuels. This research reports the ability of the solvent extraction, in liquid-liquid single and multistage extraction steps, to remove thiophene derivatives. Four liquid solvents have been used in the extraction. These are N-methyl-2-pyrolidone (NMP), acetonitrile (MeCN), methanol (CH3OH) and water (H2O). This work main contribution is to provide a comprehensive and systematic equilibrium data for the extraction of dibenzothiophene (DBT), diebenzothiophene sulfone (DBTs) and their mixture respectively. An attempt to predict equilibrium extraction data was also carried out using the estimated binary interaction parameters for two liquid non-ideal phase behaviour models. These are UNIQUAC and NRTL. Such data and predictions are to the best of the author knowledge are lacking from the open literature. Predictability of NRTL and UNIQUAC temperature independent models has been evaluated and was found to be very satisfactory. Binary interaction parameters for these two models for diesel fuel constituents and solvents were estimated based on the UNIFAC whereas that for DBT–Solvent pair was estimated based on comparison of DBT compositions measured and calculated in the fuel layer.

Keywords

Desulfurization, extraction, solvents, sulfur compounds, Hysys

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