Multistage process for deep desulfurization of a fossil fuel
AssigneeEnergy BioSystems Corporation
InventorDaniel J. Monticello
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for the deep desulfurization of a liquid fossil fuel containing organic sulfur comprising aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles is described, wherein the fossil fuel is (a) subjected to hydrodesulfurization or microbial desulfurization, (b) contacted with a biocatalyst in an aqueous medium in an amount and under conditions sufficient for the conversion of aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles to inorganic sulfur, wherein the biocatalyst comprises bacteria or a substantially cell-free preparation thereof having the capability of the parent microorganism for catalyzing the removal of sulfur from aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles, thereby preparing a deeply desulfurized fossil fuel; and (c) separated from the aqueous medium.
Claims14
A method for the deep desulfurization of a liquid fossil fuel containing organic sulfur, said organic sulfur comprising aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles, comprising the steps of:
- (a) subjecting the liquid fossil fuel to
- i) hydrodesulfurization (HDS), whereby the sulfur susceptible to the removal by HDS is removed from the liquid fossil fuel;
- or
- ii) microbial desulfurization (MDS), whereby sulfur susceptible to the removal by MDS is removed from the liquid fossil fuel;
- (b) contacting the liquid fossil fuel with a biocatalyst in an aqueous medium in an amount and under conditions sufficient for the conversion of the organic sulfur of the aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles to inorganic sulfur, wherein the biocatalyst comprises bacteria or a substantially cell-free preparation thereof having the capability of the parent microorganism for catalyzing the removal of sulfur from aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles, thereby preparing a deeply desulfurized liquid fossil fuel;
- and
- (c) separating the deeply desulfurized liquid fossil fuel from the aqueous medium.
A method for the deep desulfurization of a liquid fossil fuel containing organic sulfur, said organic sulfur comprising aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles, comprising the steps of:
- (a) subjecting the liquid fossil fuel to
- i) hydrodesulfurization (HDS), whereby sulfur susceptible to the removal by HDS is removed from the liquid fossil fuel;
- or
- ii) microbial desulfurization (MDS), whereby sulfur susceptible to the removal by MDS is removed from the liquid fossil fuel;
- (b) contacting the liquid fossil fuel obtained from step
- (a) with a biocatalyst in an aqueous medium in an amount and under conditions sufficient for the conversion of the organic sulfur of the aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles to inorganic sulfur, wherein the biocatalyst catalyzes the removal of sulfur from aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles and comprises one or more microorganisms or enzymes that catalyze the removal of sulfur from aromatic sulfur-bearing heterocycles obtained as a lysate, extract, fraction or subfraction of one or more microorganisms, thereby preparing a deeply desulfurized liquid fossil fuel;
- and
- (c) separating the deeply desulfurized liquid fossil fuel from the aqueous medium;
- wherein the deeply desulfurized liquid fossil fuel contains below about 0.05 wt % sulfur.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.