Energy & Fuels, Vol.12, No.4, 792-797, 1998
Copper removal from fuel by solid-supported polyamine chelating agents
The presence of copper in hydrocarbon fuels impairs fuel stability and jet-engine performance. We report here the results of an investigation on the feasibility of removing copper from hydrocarbon liquid using chelators attached to various support materials. The chelators, 1,4,8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (cyclam) and N-1-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl] diethylenetriamine (DETA), were attached to polystyrene, agarose, or silica. Copper extraction from JP-5 and dodecane with the immobilized chelators, both cyclic (cyclam) and acyclic (DETA) ones, was performed and the amount of Cu(II) removed measured. AU of the immobilized chelators showed an ability to remove copper ions from jet fuel, but DETA bound to silica exhibited the best results and was used for further Cu(II) binding studies under column flow. Results from JP-5, dodecane, and water tests are reported, and the potential of this approach for removing Cu(II) from jet fuel is discussed.