Patent ID: 7148389

Claim:
A process for removing at least one of thiophene and thiophene compounds from liquid fuel, the process comprising the step of: contacting the liquid fuel with a dehydrated adsorbent which preferentially adsorbs the at least one of thiophene and thiophene compounds, at a selected temperature and pressure, thereby producing a non-adsorbed component and a thiophene/thiophene compound-rich adsorbed component, wherein the dehydrated adsorbent is dehydrated via a pretreatment process which includes heating an adsorbent at about 350° C., and wherein the dehydrated adsorbent comprises at least one of a metal and a metal ion, the at least one of metal and metal ion adapted to form π-complexation bonds with the at least one of thiophene and thiophene compounds, and wherein the preferential adsorption occurs by π-complexation.