The Mexican Oil Institute (IMP) has developed a catalyst adsorbent material that removes 80% of the organic nitrogen compounds from crude oil prior to the hydrodesulfurization process.

The technology will allow Pemex, the country's national oil company, to generate ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) more quickly and cheaply. It will also increase catalyst life by up to 30 months over current standards by avoiding high temperatures and pressures during operation in the reactor.

IMP researchers evaluated the adsorption capacity of 130 different materials, the most effective proving to be one synthesized by the Institute itself, IMP-NitSorb.

To test the material, the adsorption process was applied to a load with an original content of 458 parts per million (ppm) of nitrogen to obtain a product with 87 ppm. Both treated and untreated loads were subjected to the hydrodesulfurization process. The results showed that under the same conditions the treated load reduced the reactor temperature between 25 and 30 °C, increasing the service life of the catalyst.

During the adsorption process, a waste of 26,000 ppm of nitrogen was obtained, representing about one percent of the treated load. IMP chemical engineer Rodolfo Mora, who led the research, says the low-volatility nitrogen is potentially suitable for applications such as incorporation into asphalt-paved roads.

IMP chemical engineer Rodolfo Mora, who led the research. Image credit: IMP. In pilot studies, the researchers discovered that the adsorbent material can treat between 200 and 250 barrels of load per ton of adsorbent in each cycle, which means that if its useful life is one thousand cycles (three years), each ton can treat between 200,000 and 250,000 barrels.

Currently, Mora's team is working on scaling the technology to an industrial level, which is expected to be operational in a year and a half.