Abstract:
The release of sulfur-containing compounds during direct combustion of diesel fuel has caused environment
issues which require urgent attention. Recently, stringent environmental regulations by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) to minimise the total sulfur-containing compounds released into the atmosphere
have intensified the research in this area. In this present study, adsorption experiments in batch mode were
conducted using an activated green adsorbent (Neem leaves powder) to reduce the amount of
dibenzothiophene (DBT) in a synthetic oil. The synthetic oil was prepared by dissolving 0.1 g of
dibenzothiophene (DBT) in 100 mL of hexane. Various analytical techniques were used such as; Scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) to check the morphological structure of the adsorbent. Nitrogen adsorption and
desorption experiments (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET) at 77 K were used to check the surface area, pore
size and pore volume of the adsorbent. N2 physio-sorption at 77 K before and after adsorption showed
adsorption of DBT molecules onto the surface of the adsorbent after adsorption experiment. The results
showed about 65.78 % removal of DBT at temperature of 30o
C and adsorbent amount of 0.8 g. Therefore,
neem leave powder could be an alternative cheap adsorbent to reduce the concentration of organo-sulfur
compound in petroleum distillates. This may offer new perception into the development and application of
green materials in sustainable, innovative and effective waste management and abatement of environmental
pollution.
