Open AccessDeep Desulfurization of Diesel Oil and Crude Oils by a Newly Isolated Rhodococcus erythropolis Strain
Author(s) -
Bo Yu,
Ping Xu,
Quan Shi,
Cuiqing Ma
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
applied and environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.552
H-Index - 324
eISSN - 1070-6291
pISSN - 0099-2240
DOI - 10.1128/aem.72.1.54-58.2006
Subject(s) - sulfur , diesel fuel , flue gas desulfurization , chemistry , hydrodesulfurization , rhodococcus , ultra low sulfur diesel , fuel oil , organic chemistry , light crude oil , chromatography , waste management , engineering , enzyme
The soil-isolated strain XP was identified asRhodococcus erythropolis. R. erythropolis XP could efficiently desulfurize benzonaphthothiophene, a complicated model sulfur compound that exists in crude oil. The desulfurization product of benzonaphthothiophene was identified as α-hydroxy-β-phenyl-naphthalene. Resting cells could desulfurize diesel oil (total organic sulfur, 259 ppm) after hydrodesulfurization. The sulfur content of diesel oil was reduced by 94.5% by using the resting cell biocatalyst for 24 h at 30°C. Biodesulfurization of crude oils was also investigated. After 72 h of treatment at 30°C, 62.3% of the total sulfur content in Fushun crude oil (initial total sulfur content, 3,210 ppm) and 47.2% of that in Sudanese crude oil (initial total sulfur, 1,237 ppm) were removed. Gas chromatography with pulsed-flame photometric detector analysis was used to evaluate the effect ofR. erythropolis XP treatment on the sulfur content in Fushun crude oil, and it was shown that most organic sulfur compounds were eliminated after biodesulfurization.