The Application of Nano-zinc oxide in Petrochemical

Abstract

In today’s world, fossil fuels dominate the energy supply. However, petroleum refining produces many toxic gases, including sulfur oxides, which have caused many serious environmental and health problems. To reduce this negative externality, petroleum firms use desulfurizers to absorb the sulfur. There is a significant drawback, though, as the traditional desulfurizer, like zinc oxide, has quite a low sulfur capacity at room temperature. With the recent developments in nanoparticles, a more efficient desulfurizer has come onto the market. It is called nano-zinc oxide, and due to the larger surface area-to-volume ratio (SA/V ratio), this desulfurizer version can absorb significantly more sulfur in room conditions. Current research shows that nano-zinc oxide has considerable potential in helping firms reduce the emission of sulfur dioxide, and thus lowering the negative externality during fossil fuel production.