(18a) Producing Cleaner Fuels Using Carbon Nanofibers Prepared from a Lignin/Recycled-PET Blend

The presence of sulfur in crude oil poses a serious concern as it is associated with detrimental environmental effects. The sulfur compounds existing in commercial fuels, such as thiols, benzothiophenes, and sulfides, are harmful to the human health and contribute to the air pollution. In the recent years the competent authorities in most countries apply regulations in order to limit the concentration of these compounds in commercial fuels. Among the different methods proposed for the lowering of sulfur content of commercial fuels to less than 10 ppm is the adsorptive desulfurization.

Furthermore, escalating environmental concerns are intensifying the need to utilize renewable and waste resources for the manufacture of high-value engineered materials. Lignin is an abundant natural polymer, while poly(ethylene terephthalate) is a major compound of municipal waste. Here, we have combined these two polymers for the manufacture of activated carbon nanofibers. Initially, electrospun nanofibers of varying average diameters were prepared (100 – 400 nm) using different mass ratios between lignin and recycled-PET (50/50 – 90/10). These precursor nanofibers were carbonized and then their porosity was increased through physical and chemical activation. The resulting activated carbon nanofibers were used for the adsorption of sulfur compounds (thiophene, benzothiophene) from model fuels.