Which of the following processes helps in reducing sulfur content in fuels?

Hydrotreating is a crucial process used in the petroleum refining industry to reduce the sulfur content in fuels. This process involves the reaction of hydrogen with the feedstock, which can be crude oil or other petroleum fractions, in the presence of a catalyst. The primary goal of hydrotreating is to remove impurities, including sulfur, nitrogen, and aromatic compounds, from the fuel.

During this process, sulfur compounds, typically present in the form of thiols, sulfides, and thiophenes, are converted into hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas. This reaction significantly lowers the sulfur levels in the final product, meeting the required specifications for clean fuels and helping to reduce emissions when these fuels are burned.

Other processes such as fluid catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, and isomerization do not specifically target sulfur reduction in the same way. Fluid catalytic cracking and hydrocracking focus more on converting heavy hydrocarbons into lighter products and improving the quality of the fuel by breaking larger molecules into smaller ones. Isomerization, on the other hand, is aimed at rearranging the molecular structure to improve octane ratings and does not significantly affect sulfur content. Thus, among the options provided, hydrotreating is the process that directly