(338r) Desorption of Aromatic Sulfur Heterocycles From Silver Based Sorbents

The Ag-TiO₂-based adsorbent has been found to selectively remove sulfur ?containing heterocyclic compounds from logistic fuels. The Ag-TiO₂ adsorbent has a capacity to remove 6-7 mg/g of sulfur aromatics from JP5 fuel. Ag-TiO₂ is regenerable in air for multiple cycle operation. Currently, mechanisms for sulfur removal and thermal regeneration are being investigated. The regeneration process devised by trial and error, consists of a vaporization step followed by a high temperature calcination step. The desorption of sulfur containing heterocyclic compounds at the surface of the sorbent was studied to provide more information on the removal of sulfur as well as the regeneration of the sorbent. Thermogravimetric analysis mass spectroscopy (TGA-MS) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) techniques were employed to investigate a model system of the sorbent and the actual sorbent for this study.