Page 82 - 00. Complete Version - Progress Report IPEN 2014-2016

82 Application of Ionizing Radiations | Progress Report

Radiation combined with hydrothermal utes of diluted acid treatment and 24 h of en-
treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis zymatic hydrolysis.

The conversion of hemicelluloses reached 42% Petroleum and diesel fuel desulfurization
after thermal treatment by 40 minutes for enhancement by ionizing radiation
sugarcane bagasse irradiated with 50 kGy. Af-
ter the addition of diluted sulfuric acid (0.1% Hydrodesulphurization, HDS, is currently the
v/v), almost the totality of hemicellulose is most common method used by refineries to
converted in xylose and byproducts, main- remove sulfur compounds from petroleum
ly furfural. The enzymatic conversion yield fractions. However, it is not highly effective
of cellulose reached 72% in samples irradiat- for removing thiophenes compounds such
ed with 50 kGy and 60 min. of thermal treat- as benzothiophene. Additionally, this process
ment. When dilute sulfuric acid was added, it generates high costs for the oil industry. In the
was observed an increase in the cellulose con- present work, ionizing radiation was used as
version, however the time was reduced, and an advanced oxidation process in order to en-
the higher value (74%) was reached in 40 min- hance the removal of sulfur contents from pe-
troleum and diesel fuel. Samples of crude oil
and diesel fuel, without any pretreatment,
Radiation Combined with Thermal
were irradiated using a Radiation Dynamics
TH40 TH60 TH40EH24
Electron Beam Accelerator in batch systems
TH60EH24 TH40EH48 TH60EH48
at 30 kGy and 50 kGy absorbed doses. The sul-
80 fur compounds were extracted and then an-
alyzed by gas chromatography associated to
Conversion yield (%) 40 mass spectrometry, GCMS, and by gas chroma-
60
tography coupled with flame ionization detec-
tor, GCFID. Furthermore, the petroleum and
diesel fuel samples were analyzed by Fourier
20
Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, FTIR, to de-
0
Untreated 20 kGy 30 kGy 50 kGy tect chemical changes in sulfur compounds. It
was observed a high efficiency of ionizing radi-
Radiation Combined with Dilute Acid
ation on the degradation of sulfur compounds
AH40 AH60 AH40EH24 such as benzothiophene and benzenethiol and

AH60EH24 AH40EH48 AH60EH48 the formation of fragments, for instance 1,2-
80 dimethylbenzene and toluene.
Conversion yield (%) 60 Study of the effect of ionizing radiation for

utilization of spent cracking catalysts. Cat-
40
alyst is a substance that changes the rate of a
reaction. In the petroleum industry, the com-
20
monly catalysts are used for Fluid Catalytic
0
Untreated 20 kGy 30 kGy 50 kGy Cracking (FCC) and Hidrocatalytic Cracking
(HCC), which one applied in a specific stage.
Figure 55. Enzymatic hydrolysis yield of cellulose af-
ter Electron Beam Processing (EBP) Followed by Ther- These catalysts are used to facilitate the mo-
mal (TH) and Acid Treatment (AH).
lecular chains cracking which will generate a

Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares