Feasibility Study for Biodesulfurization of Thiophene as Sulfur Model Compound of Gasoline by Rhodococcus erythropolis Supported on Polyvinyl alcohol

Desulfurization of fossil fuels such as gasoline is one of the important factors in pollution control of the environment because of sulfur dioxide emission due to combustion into the atmosphere. Conventional methods for desulfurization of gasoline for its aromatic contents have been considered. To this approach¡ biodesulfurization methods have been examined for desulfurization of sulfur containing aromatic compounds. Rhodococcus erythropolis supported on poly vinyl alcohol has been used for biodesulfurization of thiophene as gasoline model compound in n-hexane as the solvent. The obtaining results according to UV-Spectrophotometer analysis at 240 nm showed that upto 98 % of thiophene at the optimum condition of primary concentration about 80 ppm¡ pH= 7¡ adsorbent dose of 0.5 g¡ in 30°C and after 20 hrs of contact time has been removed. Equilibrium data and adsorption kinetics have been observed to obey the Freundlich isotherm and pseudo first-order kinetic models¡ respectively. Also the recovery of suppored biomass has been investigated. The alteration in surface morphology of biosorbent after supporting on polymer was investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy and SEM images.