Regenerable solid sorbents for Claus tailgas cleanup: A treatment process for the catalytic removal of SO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S

Journal Article · Thu Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996 · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ie960149c· OSTI ID:367876

Buchanan, J S; Stern, D L; Nariman, K E; Teitman, G J; Sodomin, J F; Johnson, D L ^[1]

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1. Mobil Technology Co., Paulsboro, NJ (United States)

Use of a regenerable solid sorbent can offer advantages over conventional wet scrubbing for Claus tailgas treatment. In this paper, the authors describe a novel process/catalyst combination for this service. The Mobil Oil SO{sub x} Treatment (MOST) process, demonstrated here on the laboratory scale, consists of first combusting the Claus tailgas with air, converting all sulfur species to SO{sub 2}/SO{sub 3}. The SO{sub x} is then sorbed onto a solid sorbent, and in a separate step, the sulfur is reductively desorbed as a concentrated stream of mainly SO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}S, which can then be recycled to the Claus plant for further processing. Catalyst screening for this application focused on examining alumina and magnesium aluminates, with oxidation promoters including ceria, vanadia, and platinum. The materials with the highest SO{sub x} uptake are a commercial FCC SO{sub x} transfer additive and a vanadia/ceria-promoted, magnesium aluminate (V/Ce/Mg{sub 2}Al{sub 2}O{sub 5}) spinel (54 and 46 wt % SO{sub x} uptake, respectively). During most of the adsorption period, the SO{sub 2} level in the effluent from the sorbent bed was below 1 ppmv. When the same base magnesium aluminate was examined with ceria but without vanadia, the SO{sub x} uptake was lower (25 wt %), while the base alone had fairly low uptake (5 wt %). Thus, effective SO{sub 2} oxidation promoters are necessary for this application. Oxidation of CO to CO{sub 2} was also demonstrated over these catalysts. All materials examined were found to be regenerable under hydrogen. The main products observed were SO{sub 2}, H{sub 2}O, and H{sub 2}S. The results indicate that a regenerable solid sorbent-based SO{sub x} abatement system can give lower emissions of sulfur species and of CO than current Claus treatment processes and may allow a capacity increase in a hydraulically limited Claus plant.

• OSTI ID: 367876
• Journal Information: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Journal Name: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 35; ISSN IECRED; ISSN 0888-5885
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
ADSORBENTS
ADSORPTION
ALUMINATES
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON MONOXIDE
CATALYSTS
CERIUM OXIDES
CLAUS PROCESS
DESULFURIZATION
GASEOUS WASTES
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MATERIALS TESTING
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
REGENERATION
SULFUR
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR TRIOXIDE
VANADIUM OXIDES
WASTE PROCESSING