The Effect of Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids(ILs) Structure Properties Towards Desulfurization in Fuel Oils

• Main Author: Thor, Vincy
• Format: Final Year Project
• Published: Universiti Teknologi Petronas 2011
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/394/

This report is to provide the details of the study namely The Effect of Imidazolium Based Ionic Liquids (ILs) Structure Properties towards Desulfurization in Fuel Oils. ILs is a defined as new class of organic salts with low melting point, made of organic cations and organic or inorganic anions. ILs are well known as green organic solvent due to their negligible vapour pressure compare others organic solvents. It have a lots of potential in various fields due to its distinguishing properties, such as chemically and thermally stable, non-flammable, high ionic conductivity, ease of regeneration, low vapor pressure, non-toxic, high salvation ability and etc. In this study, we are focus on desulfurization in fuel oils. All ILs attractive features make the ILs field worth to be further explored and studied, especially when it is still relatively a new field. Due to its relatively new presence in the chemical industry, many data still are not available to understand about the ILs, especially mechanism of ILs in extract sulfur from fuel oils. Hence, the objective of this project is to get more insightful view of the ILs in term of molecular forces and structural properties in desulfurization of fuel oils by using simple parameters. These parameters are employed to develop a relationship between the ILs structure property and their sulfur extractability along with the help of the literature review of ILs available. During the literature review studied, a few parameters been identified that will help in understanding the relation of the ILs structure properties towards desulfurization in fuel oils. Such parameters are such as density (ρ), molecular weight (MW), refractive index (RI), molar refraction (Rm), molar volume (Vm) and sulfur partition coefficient (KN). The relationship that developed will provide an initial prediction on the efficiency of ILs chosen provided that parameters concerned are given. It also acts as preliminary screening tool for many ILs that available so far, particularly in fuel oils desulfurization. Based on the critical analysis of various suggested parameters to develop relationship between the ILs structure property and their sulfur extractability, it has been found that the molar volume (Vm), molar refraction (Rm) and fefractive index (RI) are able to predict the ILs efficiency in removing sulfur.