Mechanism of microwave-assisted coal desulfurization with urea peroxide

To effectively remove organic sulfur from coal for higher resource efficiency, an innovative microwave-assisted urea peroxide for desulfurization system was designed. The experimental group with different microwave frequencies and the conventional pyrolysis control group were set up to prove the desulfurization effect of microwave in coordination with urea peroxide. The experimental results showed that under 1000 W microwave irradiation and the promotion of urea peroxide, the desulfurization efficiency can reach 67.29 %, with an increase of 38.32 % while the conventional pyrolysis is only 28.97 %. According to the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, the effectiveness of microwave coordination with urea peroxide for desulfurization is explained from macroscopic point of view. Benzylidene thiol, dibenzyl sulfide, and dibenzyl disulfide were selected as model compounds for the quantum chemical calculation. The simulation results demonstrated that the changes in the pathway energy barriers for desulfurization align with the experimental material transformations, confirming the accuracy of the simulation. The sulfur-containing bonds of mercaptans will be destroyed to form hydrogen sulfide, and the undestroyed bonds will remain in the organic matter. After being oxidized, the sulfur-containing bond will break to form a water-soluble sulfonic acid free radical. The unoxidized sulfur bonds of thioethers will be destroyed to generate unstable phenyl free radicals and free sulfur radicals. To achieve stability, phenyl free radicals can pair to form diphenylethane or combine with other radicals (such as •H). In contrast, sulfur free radicals can only react with hydrogen radicals to form hydrogen sulfide. However, the limited availability of hydrogen radicals in the system restricts the desulfurization efficiency. After oxidation by urea peroxide, the thioethers will form sulfones. The sulfur-containing bonds will be fractured and directly generate phenyl and sulfur dioxide, which reduces the dependence on hydrogen free radicals. The three-dimensional desulfurization path of microwave collaboration with urea peroxide experiment was simulated and converted to the analytical bond breaking and formation mechanism. This study proved that microwave synergizes with urea peroxide can intensify the desulfurization process. It provides a high-efficiency method for the clean and green utilization of coal, which is conducive to supporting environmentally sustainable development.