Industrial-Scale Oxidative Desulfurization: Comprehensive Process Design and Economic Study for Maritime Oil Production

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has implemented stringent regulations regarding carbon emissions in marine fuels in response to growing environmental concerns and global warming. These regulations impose significant and costly constraints on refining processes. Oxidative desulfurization (ODS) emerges as an effective desulfurization method, offering advantages such as mild operational conditions and hydrogen-free processing compared to conventional hydrodesulfurization (HDS). ODS can be implemented independently or in complement to existing HDS systems. The process converts sulfonic compounds through oxidative mechanisms, forming polar sulfones, which are subsequently separated via liquid-liquid extraction, purification, and concentration techniques. This research presents a comprehensive analysis and modelling of sulfur-containing oxidised compound separation from fuel oil using ODS technology advancements. Acetic acid functioned as a catalyst while hydrogen peroxide served as an oxidizing agent. The investigation encompassed ODS modelling followed by absorption-based sulfone extraction, with additional adsorption and distillation procedures for effluent, solvent, and oxidant recovery. Simulation results demonstrate successful operation at 80°C under moderate pressure below 5 bar. The initial sulfur content of 3.5 wt% was reduced to less than 0.5 wt%. Sensitivity analysis revealed conversion rates increased from 84% to 98% when reactor diameter expanded from 0.5m to 1.2m. Enhanced performance resulted from increased hydrogen peroxide flow rates (0.5 to 1.5 kg/h), elevated pressure (1.5 to 5 bar), and optimised temperatures. Process optimization achieved 55.57% exergy efficiency, 1.75% solvent waste rate, and 0.22% final sulfur concentration.