BIODESULFURIZATION OF PETROLEUM

BIODESULFURIZATION OF PETROLEUM

Abstract

Petroleum contains many heterocyclic oraganosulfur compounds refractory to conventional hydrodesulfurization carried out with chemical catalysts. Among these dibenzothiophene (DBT) and DBTs bearing alkyl substitutions are representative compounds. Because of increasingly stringent regulations concerning the sulfur content of motor fuels, sulfur removal by biocatalytic means is often considered as a potential alternative to conventional hydrodesulfurization .The first microbial strain able to selectively oxidize sulfur molecules such as dibenzothiophene without altering its carbon content.
The present paper aimed at exploiting microbial diversity to select new strains potentially interesting for ultradesulfurization. Biologicaldesulfurization offers an attractive alternative to conventional treatment due to its mild operating conditions resulting in energy saving, greater sulfur removal potential, greater process chemistry selectively and anticipated use of lower quality feed stocks. Biocatalyst is highly selective with the ability to target individual or defined groups of sulfur containing species; there by minimizing side reactions consequently biodesulfurization retains the quality of the petroleum products like diesel and gasoline.