A NOVEL APPROACH TO CATALYTIC DESULFURIZATION OF COAL

Remarkably mild conditions have been discovered for quantitative sulfur removal from dibenzothiophene and other organosulfur systems using relatively cheap elemental sodium. The project objectives are: (1) Optimize the coal desulfurization reaction with respect to time, temperature, coal type and the R groups (including R = H), and also on extraction, impregnation and sonication conditions; (2) Optimize the conditions for the HDS reaction (which allows the PR{sub 3} to function as an HDS catalyst for coal) with respect to R group, temperature, pressure, H{sub 2} gas flow rate and inert solvent presence; (3) Determine the product(s) and the pathway of the novel redox reaction that appears to quantitatively remove sulfur from dibenzothiophene (DBT) when R = Bu when FeCl{sub 3} is used as a catalyst; (4) Impregnate sulfur-laden coals with Fe{sup 3+} to ascertain if the PR{sub 3} desulfurization rate increases; (5) Determine the nature of the presently unextractable phosphorus compounds formed in solid coals by PR{sub 3}; (6) Explore the efficacy of PR{sub 3}/Fe{sup 3+} in removing sulfur from petroleum feedstocks, heavy ends (whether solid or liquid), coal tar and discarded tire rubber; (7) Explore the possibility of using water-soluble PR{sub 3} compounds and Fe{sup 3+} to remove sulfur from petroleum feedstocks and heavy ends in order to remove the SPR{sub 3} (and Fe{sup 3+} catalyst) by water extraction (for subsequent HDS of the SPR{sub 3}); and (8) Explore the possibility of using solid-supported PR{sub 3} compounds (plus Fe{sup 3+} catalyst) to remove sulfur from petroleum feedstocks and heavy ends in order to keep the oil and the SPR{sub 3} (formed in the reaction) in easily separable phases