Patent ID: 8021540

Claim:
A method for desulfurizing kerosene or gas oil, consisting essentially of: reacting sulfur compounds in a kerosene or gas oil containing aromatic hydrocarbons and at least one sulfur compound selected from the group consisting of thiophene compounds, benzothiophene compounds, and dibenzothiophene compounds among themselves and/or with aromatic hydrocarbons by contacting the kerosene or gas oil with: a solid superacid catalyst selected from the group consisting of sulfated zirconia, sulfated alumina, sulfated tin oxide, sulfated iron oxide, tungstated zirconia, and tungstated tin oxide, and optionally a zeolite selected from the group consisting of proton-type faujasite zeolite, proton-type mordenite and proton-type β-zeolite, and having the silica/alumina ratio of 100 mol/mol or less and the content of cations other than proton of 5 mass % or less, wherein upon contacting the kerosene or gas oil with the solid superacid catalyst, the reaction between the sulfur compounds themselves or between the sulfur compounds and the aromatic hydrocarbons occurs prior to adsorption of the reaction products by the solid superacid catalyst.