Fossil fuels contain sulfur, which releases SO_x when burned. The produced SO_x creates a major environmental problem as it contributes to acid rain and can harm the human respiratory system. To address this challenge, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released new regulations which require minimal amounts of sulfur in transportation fuels (diesel and gasoline). The conventional method to remove sulfur from transportation fuels is hydrodesulfurization, which requires high temperature and pressure and is incapable of removing refractory sulfur compounds. Adsorptive removal of sulfur using zeolite Y is a promising new technique for desulfurization. The introduction of mesoporosity in zeolites allow adsorption of refractory sulfur compounds at the internal active sites. Additionally, metals like Cu and Ce can be added to the zeolite extra-framework to increase selective adsorption.
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