Silva, TiagoPaixão, Susana M.Roseiro, J. CarlosAlves, Luís2023-03-032023-03-032022-09Silva T.P.; S.M. Paixão, J.C. Roseiro, L. Alves (2022). Optimization of a biphasic biodesulfurization system. 1st International Conference on Sustainable Chemical and Environmental Engineering (SustEng'2022), 31 August – 4 September, Rethymno, Crete. Proceedings - ISBN 978-618-86417-0-9, p. 175-176978-618-86417-0-9http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/4020ABSTRACT: Many of the new generation fuels, although more sustainable, share some of the problems inherent to fossil fuels. Depending on the biomass/material that originated them, they can present different contaminants that can lead to environmental problems. Sulfur is one of the most common and problematic contaminants in fuels. It is released into the atmosphere in the form of SOx, leading to the formation of acid rains, which cause drastic environmental and infrastructural problems, as well as several types of health issues. High sulfur concentrations in fuels also result in a loss of efficiency of motors and energy generation systems, mostly due to corrosion and catalyst poisoning. The current thermochemical desulfurization process, hydrodesulfurization (HDS), is energy demanding, pollutant and has low efficiency against more complex organosulfur molecules. This led researchers to look for new alternatives. Biodesulfurization (BDS), is, as the name implies, the biological removal of sulfur from fuels using microorganisms as living biocatalysts. If correctly employed this process could be more efficient and less pollutant, since microorganisms directly target the sulfur atoms, even those present in complex molecular structures, such as dibenzothiophene (DBT). Moreover, microbial activity occurs at much lower temperatures and pressures, without the need for metal catalysts, resulting in a lower energy demand. While BDS is a promising technology, it is still at a low development stage, mostly due to some bottlenecks, which have been hindering its large-scale application. Similarly, to other biotechnological processes, it presents lower reaction rates, when compared to HDS, since it depends on the use of living organisms as catalysts. Furthermore, it must be performed under conditions that allow the microorganisms to maintain biological activity, limiting the range of applications. These conditions vary greatly depending on the microorganism selected, and their optimization can significantly increase the biodesulfurization activity of a biocatalyst.engBiorefineryBiodesulfurizationModel fuelconference object