The latest news and updates from the Principal Technology team in Dallas, Texas.
The Claus process was first patented in 1883 by the German chemist Carl Friedrich Claus. His discovery, the Claus Reaction, is the basis for what has become the industry standard for sulfur recovery. This basic chemistry occurs in both the Thermal Reactor (thermal process) and across multiple catalytic reactors (catalytic process) of a traditional Sulfur […]
read articleCarbonyl Sulfide (COS) and Carbon Disulfide (CS2) are produced by side reactions in the Thermal Reactor of a Sulfur Recovery Unit. COS and CS2 exist in relatively low concentrations in the process gas but can have a significant impact on sulfur recovery efficiency since they do not take part in the Claus reaction. However, most […]
read articleDebottlenecking means improving the efficiency and / or throughput of a chemical process by identifying the limiting factors and eliminating them. Sulfur Recovery Unit capacity is often limited by waste heat boilers and condensers. These are the most expensive pieces of equipment in a Sulfur Recovery Unit and are normally designed at maximum expected throughput. […]
read articleThe most common SRU configuration is the Modified Claus Process. One-third of the H2S in the incoming feed is combusted to SO2 in a Thermal Reactor with temperatures usually ranging from 1800-2400°F. The remaining two-thirds of the H2S combines with the SO2 in the Thermal Reactor and 50-60% is converted to sulfur (S). Thermal Reactor […]
read article“Amine” in refinery and gas processing applications usually refers to a mixture of alkanolamines in water. The solution is basic and will absorb acidic compounds like H2S and CO2 and has been used extensively for H2S and CO2 removal in both liquid and gas process streams. H2S and CO2 absorbed in an amine solution can […]
read articleSour water is any water stream that contains H2S, CO2, or NH3 (ammonia). Gas plants typically don’t require sour water treatment because the volumes are small enough to be discharged to a plant sewer or removed by a tank truck. Refineries are a whole different story. Sources of sour water in refineries include dissolved water […]
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