Petroleum Science and Technology

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API Gravity, Sulfur Content, and Desulfurization of

Crude Oil

A. Demirbas, H. Alidrisi & M. A. Balubaid

To cite this article: A. Demirbas, H. Alidrisi & M. A. Balubaid (2015) API Gravity, Sulfur Content,
and Desulfurization of Crude Oil, Petroleum Science and Technology, 33:1, 93-101, DOI:
10.1080/10916466.2014.950383

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Petroleum Science and Technology, 33:93–101, 2015
Copyright 
C Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1091-6466 print / 1532-2459 online
DOI: 10.1080/10916466.2014.950383

API Gravity, Sulfur Content, and Desulfurization

of Crude Oil

A. Demirbas,1 H. Alidrisi,1 and M. A. Balubaid1

1
Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, King Abdulaziz University,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In this review, strategies for crude oil desulfurization are evaluated by reviewing desulfurization literature.
The most important characteristics of crude oil that affect the market price are its sulfur content and
gravity. Low sulfur content of crude oil is particularly preferred. Petroleum includes crude oil, natural
gas, and heavy oil. Petroleum refineries convert crude oils and other input streams into dozens of refined
(co)products. Two properties are especially useful for quickly classifying and comparing crude oils: API
gravity (a measure of density) and sulfur content. Sulfur is naturally present as an impurity in fossil
fuels. The removal of organosulfur compounds from crude oil is an important aspect of all countries
to reduce air pollution. The sulfur compounds from gasoline are generally removed by treatment with
an alkaline solution sodium plumbite. At large scales, the most economical technology for converting
hydrogen sulfide into sulfur is the Claus process. This well-established process uses partial combustion
and catalytic oxidation to convert about 97% of the H2 S to elemental sulfur.
Keywords: petroleum, crude oil, classification, API gravity, desulfurization process

Energy sources can be classified into three groups: fossil, renewable, and nuclear (fissile). Fossil
fuels were formed in an earlier geological period and are not renewable. The fossil energy sources
include petroleum, coal, bitumens, natural gas (NS), oil shales, and tar sands.
The major energy demand is fulfilled from the fossil energy resources such as coal, petroleum,
and NG. Conventional fuel sources are petroleum and natural gas. Petroleum and natural gas are
the well-known conventional fossil fuel sources. Fossil energy sources are stocks of energy that
have formed during ancient geologic ages (about 250 million years ago) by biologic and/or geologic
processes.
The most important characteristics of crude oil that affect the market price are its sulfur content
and gravity. Low sulfur content of crude oil is particularly preferred.
Petroleum includes crude oil, natural gas, and heavy oil. A petroleum refinery is a group of
manufacturing plants that are used to separate petroleum into fractions. The configuration of refineries
may vary from refinery to refinery. Some refineries may be more oriented toward the production of
gasoline whereas the configuration of other refineries may be more oriented towards the production
of middle distillates such as jet fuel and gas oil.
The composition of petroleum oil or crude oil is known to vary significantly from its origin or
geographical location of the refinery. These crude oils can be differentiated into various individual

Address correspondence to A. Demirbas, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Engineering, King Abdulaziz
University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: ayhandemirbas@hotmail.com

93
94 A. DEMIRBAS ET AL.

TABLE 1
Physicochemical Properties of Petroleums

-Specific gravity
-Calorific value
-Sulfur content
-Flash point or ignition point
-Viscosity
-Moisture and sediment content
-Specific heat and coefficient of expansion

fractions at different boiling ranges. The low boiling fractions (<170◦ C) are typically napthas, those
between 180 and 250◦ C are kerosene and the ones boiling in the range of 250–350◦ C are termed as
gas oils. The fractions boiling above 350◦ C are generally termed as residues and are obtained after
most of the distillable products have been removed from the petroleum oil.
Crude petroleum is a mixture of compounds that can be separated into different generic
boiling fractions: Light naphtha (bp: –1 to 50◦ C), gasoline (bp: –1 to 180◦ C), heavy naph-
tha (bp: 150–205◦ C), kerosene (bp: 205–260◦ C), light gas oil (bp: 260–315◦ C), heavy gas oil
(bp: 315–425◦ C), lubricating oil (bp: >400◦ C), vacuum gas oil (bp: 425–600◦ C), and residuum
(bp: >510◦ C).
Energy demand particularly oil and natural gas necessity is growing rapidly for social, industrial,
and economic development of the country. Petroleum plays very important role in foreign policies
and their international relations of Caspian and Middle East countries. The Middle East itself
produces 32% of the world’s oil, but even more impressive is they have 64% of the total proven oil
reserves in the world.

PETROLEUM PROPERTIES

The oil industry classifies crude by its production location (e.g., West Texas Intermediate [WTI] or
Brent), relative density (API gravity), viscosity (light, intermediate, or heavy), and sulfur content
(sweet for low sulfur, and sour for high sulfur).
Petroleum is a basic natural fuel. It is a dark greenish brown, viscous mineral oil, found deep in
earth’s crust. It is mainly composed of various hydrocarbons (e.g., straight chain paraffins, cycloparaf-
fins or napthenes, olefins, aromatics) together with small amount of organic compounds containing
oxygen nitrogen and sulfur. The average composition of crude petroleum is C = 79.5–87.1%; H =
11.5–14.8%; S = 0.1–3.5%, N and O = 0.1–0.5%. Petroleums are graded according to the following
physicochemical properties (Table 1).
Manufactured liquid fuels include gasoline, diesel oil, kerosene, heavy oil, naptha, and lubricating
oils. These are obtained mostly by fractional distillation of crude petroleum or liquefaction of coal.
Olefins and coloring matter of gasoline are usually removed by percolating through Fuller’s earth,
which absorbs preferentially only the colors and olefin. It is used in aircrafts. It is also used as motor
fuel, in dry-cleaning, and as a solvent.
Some of the characteristics of an ideal gasoline are given in Table 2.
The diesel fuel or gas oil is obtained between 250 and 320◦ C during the fractional distillation of
crude petroleum. This oil generally contains 85% C and 12% H. Its higher heating value is about
11,000 kcal/kg.
The suitability of a diesel fuel is determined by its cetane value. Diesel fuels consist of longer
hydrocarbons and have low values of ash, sediment, water and sulfate contents.
 API GRAVITY, SULFUR CONTENT, AND DESULFURIZATION 95

TABLE 2
Some of the Characteristics of an Ideal Gasoline

-It must be cheap and readily available

-It must burn clean and produce no sulfur dioxide and no corrosion on combustion
-It should mix readily with air and afford uniform manifold distribution (i.e., should easily vaporize)
-It must be knock resistant
-It should be preignite easily
-It must have a high calorific value

The main characteristic of a diesel fuel is that it should easily ignite below compression temper-
ature. The hydrocarbon molecules in a diesel fuel should be, as far as possible, the straight-chain
ones, with a minimum admixture of aromatic and side-chain hydrocarbon molecules. Petroleum is
used in diesel engines as heating oil and for cracking to get gasoline.
Kerosene oil is obtained between 180 and 250◦ C during fractional distillation of crude petroleum.
It is used as an illuminant, jet engine fuel, tractor fuel, and for preparing laboratory gas. With the
development of jet engine, kerosene has become a material of far greater importance than it used
to be. When kerosene is used in domestic appliances, it is always vaporized before combustion. By
using a fair excess of air it burns with a smokeless blue flame. A light petroleum distillate that is used
in space heaters, cook stoves, and water heaters and is suitable for use as a light source when burned
in wick-fed lamps. It is a fraction obtained between 320 and 400◦ C during fractional distillation of
crude petroleum. This oil on refractionation gives:
1. Lubricating oils, which are used as lubricants.
2. Petroleum jelly (Vaseline), which is used as lubricants in medicines and in cosmetics.
3. Greases, which are used as lubricants.
4. Paraffin wax which is used in candles, boot polishes, wax paper, tarpaulin cloth and for
electrical insulation purposes.
Typical natural yields of light and heavy crude oils are given in Table 3.

CHARACTERIZATIONS OF CRUDE OILS

Assessing the refining value of a crude oil requires a full description of the crude oil and its
components, involving scores of properties. However, two properties are especially useful for quickly
classifying and comparing crude oils: API gravity (a measure of density) and sulfur content.
Viscosity is an oil’s resistance to flow. It is significant because it indicates the ease at which
oil flows or can be pumped and the ease of atomization. Differences in fuel oil viscosities
are caused by variations in the concentrations of fuel oil constituents and different refining
methods.

TABLE 3
Typical Natural Yields of Light and Heavy Crude Oils

Crude Oils Light Gas Gasoline Distillate Heavy Oils

Light crude 2.6 38.9 23.0 35.5

Heavy crude 1.3 18.5 9.4 70.8
96 A. DEMIRBAS ET AL.

Flash point is the lowest temperature to which an oil must be heated for its vapors to ignite in a
flame. Minimum permissible flash point is usually prescribed by state and municipal laws.
Pour point is the lowest temperature at which a fuel can be stored and handled. Fuels with higher
pour points can be used when heated storage and piping facilities are provided.
Water and sediment content should be low to prevent fouling the facilities. Sediment accumulates
on filter screens and burner parts. Water in distillate fuels can cause tanks to corrode and emulsions
to form in residual oil.
Carbon residue is obtained by a test in which the oil sample is destructively distilled in
the absence of air. When commercial fuels are used in proper burners, this residue has al-
most no relationship to soot deposits, except indirectly when deposits are formed by vaporizing
burners.
Ash is the noncombustible material in an oil. An excessive amount indicates the presence of
materials that cause high wear on burner pumps.
The distillation test shows the volatility and ease of vaporization of a fuel.
Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a fuel oil to the density of water at a specific
temperature. Specific gravities cover a range in each grade, with some overlap between distillate and
residual grades. API gravity (developed by the American Petroleum Institute) is a parameter widely
used in place of specific gravity. It is obtained by the following formula: (1)where Sp Gr at 60/60◦ F
is the ratio of the mass of a given volume of oil at 60◦ F to the mass of the same volume of water at
60◦ F. The API gravity of water at 60◦ F is 10.0.
Air pollution considerations are important in determining the allowable sulfur content of fuel
oils. Sulfur content is frequently limited by legislation aimed at reducing sulfur oxide emissions
from combustion equipment. These laws require sulfur content to be below a certain level, usually
1.0, 0.5, or 0.3%.
Sulfur in fuel oils is also undesirable because of the corrosiveness of sulfur compounds in the flue
gas. Although low-temperature corrosion can be minimized by maintaining the stack at temperatures
above the dew point of the flue gas, this limits the overall thermal efficiency of combustion equipment.
For certain industrial applications, the sulfur content of a fuel must be limited because of adverse
effects on product quality. The applications include direct-fired metallurgy where work is performed
in the combustion zone.
Higher heating value (HHV) is an important property, although ASTM Standard D396 does not
list it as one of the criteria for fuel oil classification. HHV can generally be correlated with the API
gravity.
The quality of various petroleum fuels depends on their composition and types of hydrocarbons
present in the mixture. Octane number (ON) is one of the characteristics of spark-ignition engine
fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel. This number indicates anti-knock characteristic of a fuel and
strongly depends on the hydrocarbon type. Octane number of fuels can be improved by addition
of oxygenates such as tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), or tertiary amyl
methyl ether (TAME). Octane number of fractions without additives is usually referred to as clear
octane number. These additives are normally hazardous to the environment and for this reason
methods to improve octane numbers through processes such as alkylation are used in refineries.
Standards set in many countries and car manufacturers require a minimum octane number or 95. In
Europe superstar gasoline should have minimum octane number of 98 (Albahri et al., 2002).
Aniline point (AP) is another characteristic of petroleum fractions that indicates the degree of
aromaticity of hydrocarbon mixtures. AP is defined as the lowest temperature at which equal volumes
of aniline and the sample become completely soluble. As amount of aromatics in a petroleum fraction
increase the AP decreases. Therefore, the AP is a parameter that is highly related to the hydrocarbon
types in petroleum fractions.
The AP Is a useful parameter in calculation of heat of combustion, diesel index, and hydrogen
content of petroleum fuels. For nonfuel products such as solvents AP is usually specified to quantify
 API GRAVITY, SULFUR CONTENT, AND DESULFURIZATION 97

TABLE 4
Crude Oil Quality Outlook in Terms of API Gravity

2010 2015 22020 2025 2030 2035

OPEC 34.42 34.65 34.47 34.32 34.12 33.89

Non-OPEC 33.40 33.50 33.48 33.34 33.19 33.00
World 32.38 32.73 32.62 32.51 32.40 32.11

Source: World Oil Outlook (2011).

their effectiveness. Watson and Nelson developed a simple correlation for prediction of aniline point
in terms of boiling point and API gravity (Albahri et al., 2002).

API GRAVITY AND SULFUR CONTENT

The expected quality changes in oil supply streams to 2035 are presented in Tables 4 and 5 (World
Oil Outlook, 2011). Global averages for API gravity and for sulfur content indicate a relatively
stable future crude slate. This is particularly clear in respect to API gravity. The figure is projected
to improve marginally to around 33.5◦ API by 2015, from 33.4◦ API in 2010, and then move back to
33.0◦ API by 2035, a level not very dissimilar to the present one. Table 4 also underscores that the
global average for the entire forecast period is anticipated to remain in a fairly narrow range of less
than 1◦ API (World Oil Outlook, 2011).
A similar pattern can also be observed for average sulfur content projections (Table 5). Although
the expected variations in average sulfur content are somewhat wider, they are still in the range
of 10% over the 25-year forecast period. This is not seen as a major problem for the downstream
industry, although it will necessitate some extra desulfurization capacity. Driven mainly by increases
in syncrudes, condensates and light crude oils, it is projected that the global crude slate will become
marginally sweeter in the period to 2015, compared to 2010. The trend then reverses towards a
sourer slate, with the sulfur content slightly above 1.3% (wt) by 2035. A similar pattern is also
observed when countries are grouped into non–Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Companies
(OPEC) and OPEC, although on average, OPEC crudes are generally sourer than those in non-OPEC
countries (World Oil Outlook, 2011; Aissaoui, 2012).
The density of a crude oil indicates how light or heavy it is, as a whole. Lighter crudes contain
higher proportions of small molecules, which the refinery can process into gasoline, jet fuel, and
diesel (for which demand is growing). Heavier crudes contain higher proportions of large molecules,
which the refinery can either (a) use in heavy industrial fuels, asphalt, and other heavy products
(for which the markets are less dynamic and in some cases shrinking) or (b) process into smaller
molecules that can go into the transportation fuels products. In the refining industry, the density of

TABLE 5
Crude Oil Quality Outlook in Terms of Sulfur Content

2010 2015 22020 2025 2030 2035

OPEC 1.38 1.36 1.39 1.45 1.49 1.54

Non-OPEC 1.19 1.15 1.18 1.24 1.31 1.35
World 1.00 0.94 0.97 1.03 1.13 1.16

Source: World Oil Outlook (2011).

98 A. DEMIRBAS ET AL.

an oil is usually expressed in terms of API gravity, a parameter whose units are degrees (◦ API; e.g.,
35◦ API). API gravity varies inversely with density (i.e., the lighter the material, the higher its API
gravity). By definition, water has API gravity of 10◦ .
The quality of a typical light crude indicates 35◦ API and a typical heavy crude 25◦ API, in terms
of their natural yields of light gases, gasoline components, distillate (mainly jet fuel and diesel)
components, and heavy oils. An arbitrary scale expressing the gravity or density of liquid petroleum
products. The measuring scale is calibrated in terms of ◦ API; it may be calculated in terms of the
following formula:
◦
API = (141.5)/(sp.gr. 60◦ F/60◦ F) − 131.5
The higher the API gravity shows the lighter the compound. Light crudes generally exceed
38◦ API and heavy crudes are commonly labeled as all crudes with an API gravity of 22◦ or below.
Intermediate crudes fall in the range of 22–38◦ API gravity.
A widely used scheme shows for classifying crude oils on the basis of their API gravity and
sulfur content. Each crude class is defined by a range of API gravity and a range of sulfur content;
the names of the categories indicate these ranges in qualitative terms.
Of all the heteroelements in crude oil, sulfur has the most important effects on refining. Sufficiently
high sulfur levels in refinery streams can (a) deactivate (poison) the catalysts that promote desired
chemical reactions in certain refining processes, (b) cause corrosion in refinery equipment, and (c)
lead to air emissions of sulfur compounds, which are undesirable and may be subject to stringent
regulatory controls.
Sulfur in vehicle fuels leads to undesirable vehicle emissions of sulfur compounds and interferes
with vehicle emission control systems that are directed at regulated emissions such as volatile organic
compounds, nitrogen oxides, and particulates.
Consequently, refineries must have the capability to remove sulfur from crude oil and refinery
streams to the extent needed to mitigate these unwanted effects. The higher the sulfur content of the
crude, the greater the required degree of sulfur control and the higher the associated cost.
The sulfur content of crude oil and refinery streams is usually expressed in weight percent (wt%)
or parts per million by weight (ppmw). In the refining industry, crude oil is called sweet (low sulfur)
if its sulfur level is less than a threshold value (e.g., 0.5 wt% [5,000 ppmw]) and sour (high sulfur)
if its sulfur level is above a higher threshold. Most sour crudes have sulfur levels in the range of
1.0–2.0 wt%, but some have sulfur levels >4 wt%.
Within any given crude oil, sulfur concentration tends to increase progressively with increasing
carbon number. Thus, crude fractions in the fuel oil and asphalt boiling range have higher sulfur
content than those in the jet and diesel boiling range, which in turn have higher sulfur content than
those in the gasoline boiling range. Similarly, the heavier components in, say, the gasoline boiling
range have higher sulfur content than the lighter components in that boiling range.

DESULFURIZATION PROCESSES

The desulfurization methods including variations thereon that are discussed include hydrodesulfur-
ization, extractive desulfurization, oxidative desulfurization, biodesulfurization and desulfurization
through alkylation, chlorinolysis, and by using supercritical water (Adschiri et al., 1998; Guru et al.,
2006; Pawelec et al., 2011; Javadli and De Klerk, 2012).
Sulfur can be removed as from molten metals, petroleum oil, or flue gases. Petroleum desul-
furization is a process that sulfur compounds removes from various streams during the refining
process. Desulfurization processes include catalytic hydrotreating and other chemical/physical pro-
cesses such as adsorption. Desulfurization processes vary based on the type of stream treated (e.g.,
naphtha, distillate, heavy gas oil) and the amount of sulfur removed (e.g., sulfur reduction to 10 ppm).
 API GRAVITY, SULFUR CONTENT, AND DESULFURIZATION 99

High-sulfur coal when burnt in air releases sulfur predominantly in the form of SO2 . Combustion
of high sulfur lignites is one of the fundamental reasons for problem with sulfur dioxide emissions.
The sulfur dioxide in the air combines with rainwater to form sulfurous acid (acid rain). Polluted
air causes erosion whereby an originally smooth concrete surface can be weathered away leaving
only a coarse exposed aggregate highly susceptible to deterioration. Sulfur dioxide is one of the air
pollutants that evolves mostly from fossil fuels used in transport vehicles, industrial furnaces and
thermal power plants.
Different methods of desulfurization have been developed based on physical, microbial and
chemical principles. There are nearly 15 different processes, which can be applied to remove sulfur
dioxide from the flue gases produced by coal combustion. These processes can in general be classified
into two main groups: wet processes and dry processes (Yan, 1976; Yaman and Kucukbayrak, 1997;
Stromberg and Karlsson, 1998; Cilek et al., 2000; Demirbas, 2000).
The removal of sulfur from coal has recently become even more critically important. Existence of
sulfur compounds in coal limits its industrial application due to environmental as well as technical
problems. However, high sulfur coals can be upgraded by desulfurization through physical, chemical
and biotechnological processes (Demirbas, 2000a, 2002b, 2002c). Sulfur dioxide is one of the
most harmful air pollutants, evolving mostly from combustion of fossil fuels in transport vehicles,
industrial furnaces and thermal power plants. In many countries, the main sources of sulfur dioxide
are oil and coal fired power plants that have produced about more than half of the sulfur dioxide
discharge. The sulfur dioxide in the air combines with rainwater to form sulfurous acid. Acid rain
resulting from sulfur dioxide has a harmful effect on agriculture and destroys the ecological balance.
The sulfur dioxide in the air combines with rainwater to form sulfurous acid. The highest concen-
tration of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is in industrial areas. Polluted air causes erosion whereby
an originally smooth concrete surface can be weathered away leaving only a coarse exposed ag-
gregate highly susceptible to deterioration. Sulfur dioxide is one of the air pollutants that evolves
mostly from fossil fuels used in transport vehicles, industrial furnaces, and thermal power plants.
Agricultural, forest, and oil industry waste fires may also generate sulfur dioxide. Harmful sulfur
dioxide emissions can be controlled by taking precautions, which can be classified as coal desulfu-
rization, sorbent injection into combustion systems, and removal of sulfur oxides from flue gases.
Harmful sulfur dioxide emissions can be controlled by taking precautions that can be classified as
coal desulfurization, sorbent injection into combustion systems, and removal of sulfur oxides from
flue gases. Lignite before utilization is subjected to some physical, chemical, and biological desul-
furization methods. However, physical and biological methods are ineffective, time consuming, and
they can be applied only on the bench scale. Most of the effective lignite desulfurization techniques
are based on chemical methods. Available processes for sulfur dioxide removal from coals can be
divided into two main categories: removal of sulfur dioxide during combustion and removal of sulfur
dioxide from flue gases after combustion (Demirbas and Balat, 2004; Demirbas, 2006).
Various heavy petroleum feedstocks from which sulfur is to be removed may be employed in the
present process. Thus, the process is particularly effective when employed for the desulfurization of
heavy hydrocarbons, for example, those containing residual oils. Preferably, therefore, the process
disclosed herein may be employed for the desulfurization and simultaneous hydroconversion of
whole or topped crude oils, but most preferably for residua feeds, including both atmospheric and
vacuum residua feedstocks and heavy viscous crudes.
Under the supercritical conditions the dielectric constant of water is much lower. For this reason,
subcritical and supercritical water behaves as an organic solvent and exhibits extraordinary solubility
toward organic compounds containing large nonpolar groups (Demirbas, 2011). Organic sulfur
compounds can be removed from the petroleum products by using supercritical water.
The sulfur compounds from gasoline are generally removed by treating it with an alkaline solution
sodium plumbite. Sulfur can be removed from diesel fuel by using alkali and CaO catalysts (Arpa
et al., 2010; Arpa and Yumrutas, 2013).
100 A. DEMIRBAS ET AL.

At large scales, the most economical technology for converting hydrogen sulfide into sulfur is
the Claus process. This well-established process uses partial combustion and catalytic oxidation
to convert about 97% of the H2 S to elemental sulfur. In a typical application, an amine treatment
unit concentrates the H2 S before it enters the Claus unit, and a tail gas treatment unit removes the
remaining 3% of the H2 S after it exits the Claus unit.
This multistep process has low operating costs but high capital costs—too expensive for plants
recovering less than about 20 tons of sulfur per day. These plants were using liquid phase reduction-
oxidation (redox) processes to remove sulfur. While these processes removed essentially all of
the sulfur and offered a lower capital cost, they also imposed high chemical and operating costs
($300–600 per ton of sulfur), too costly for many small fuel processing plants.
Hydrodesulfurization (HDS) is a catalytic process widely used to remove sulfur from refined
petroleum products such as diesel fuel, gasoline, jet fuel, and fuel oils. The purpose of removing the
sulfur is to reduce the SO2 emissions.
Petroleum feedstock uses HDS technology to remove sulfur. Simply described, hydrogen is added
to a Co-Mo or Ni-Mo charged catalytic column at high temperature and pressure liberating the sulfur
as hydrogen sulfide, H2 S. The H2 S is converted to elemental sulfur using the classic Claus process.
These systems are capital intensive, complex and require significant investment in technology,
engineering, and operational resources usually only found at large scale petroleum refineries.
The removal of organosulfur compounds from diesel fuel is an important aspect of all countries to
reduce air pollution by reducing the emission of toxic gases such as sulfur oxides and other polluted
materials. One of the easily and fast method to remove sulfur from diesel oil is the adsorption
desulfurization process. The adsorption-desulfurization process of diesel fuel was proposed and
examined. Local diesel fuel of 410 ppm sulfur content was treated with commercial activated carbon
and carbonized date palm kernel powder at room temperature in batch work. The addition of activated
carbon caused reduction in sulfur content by more than 54% of the original sulfur content value
while carbonized date palm kernel powder without any activation process showed lower performance
toward sulfur recovery (Al-Zubaidy et al., 2013).
The desulfurization of high sulfur or heavy crude oil via microwave heating was achieved at low
microwave power at a temperature of 200◦ C. This nonconventional treatment reduced the sulfur
content of heavy crude oil at lower pressures of hydrogen and temperatures (Khan and Al-Shafei,
2009). In their study, 70% of total sulfur has been removed by using iron powder (325 mesh) and
Ron powder/copper powder catalysts.

CONCLUSION

API gravity and sulfur content of crude oil and petroleum fractions are the most important charac-
teristics.
As a result of burning high sulfur content and pose environmental problems. To be used as engine
fuel in gasoline and diesel fuel sulfur content must be reduced to below 50 ppm. The main purpose
of removing the sulfur is to reduce the SO2 emissions. Another important reason for removing sulfur
is to prevent the poisoning of inert metal catalysts in the catalytic reforming units.
A desulfurizer is the most effective method of desulfurization of substances from crude oil as it
is introduced to the distillation column.

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