Technical paper
Operational Considerations of Side Reactions in Gas Sweetening Systems
In sour gas treating systems there are a number of potential side reactions that produce unwanted byproducts. These reactions depend on reactant concentrations, reactant absorption rates, temperature, kinetic rates and residence times. Appropriate prediction of the rate of these side reactions can give greater insight into the process, in terms of degradation rate and impact of operating conditions. Three reactions are examined in the context of a typical amine treating process: conversion of hydrogen cyanide to formic acid, hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide in MDEA, and CO2 degradation of DEA. In this paper, we will explore the occurrence of these reactions throughout the process and the effect of operating conditions through the use of simulation.
In sour gas treating systems there are a number of potential side reactions that produce unwanted byproducts. These reactions depend on reactant concentrations, reactant absorption rates, temperature, kinetic rates and residence times. Appropriate prediction of the rate of these side reactions can give greater insight into the process, in terms of degradation rate and impact of operating conditions. Three reactions are examined in the context of a typical amine treating process: conversion of hydrogen cyanide to formic acid, hydrolysis of carbonyl sulfide in MDEA, and CO2 degradation of DEA. In this paper, we will explore the occurrence of these reactions throughout the process and the effect of operating conditions through the use of simulation.