ABSTRACT
Biodesulfurization is a highly selective biocatalytic process for oxidation of heterocyclic sulfur compounds in fossil fuels, such as diesel fuel, that can be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to conventional hydrodesulfurization. This chapter focuses on synthesis and screening-level characterization of several novel, prototype surfactants prepared from a model product, NaHPBS03. This work represented the first step in evaluation of commercial potential for the organosulfur end-product. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the air-water surface tension above the CMC, γcmc, are basic properties of a surfactant that reflect interfacial behavior. The calcium tolerance of the HPBSO3 surfactants was examined briefly by measuring the CaCl2 concentration required to induce precipitation. Foam height and stability are frequently evaluated for detergents using the Ross-Miles foam test. In this test, a surfactant solution is allowed to fall through a long thermostated glass cylinder from a supply vessel onto a small volume of the same solution contained in the base of the cylinder.
