Solution:In the refining of petroleum, H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) is used as a catalyst in a process called "sweetening" or "desulfurization" to remove sulfur and other sulfur-containing compounds.
It involves the following steps - Contact with Petroleum, Reaction (Sulfuric acid reacts with the sulfur-containing compounds in the petroleum), Separation (removes the sulfur compounds from the petroleum stream) and Regeneration (sulfuric acid, now containing the extracted sulfur compounds, is regenerated by treating it with an oxidizing agent, such as air or hydrogen peroxide).