CA1303481C - Process for drying sulfur dioxide - Google Patents

Process for drying sulfur dioxide

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Publication number
CA1303481C
CA1303481C CA000572336A CA572336A CA1303481C CA 1303481 C CA1303481 C CA 1303481C CA 000572336 A CA000572336 A CA 000572336A CA 572336 A CA572336 A CA 572336A CA 1303481 C CA1303481 C CA 1303481C
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CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
stream
water
process according
hydrate
distillation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
CA000572336A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Hans Becker
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Linde GmbH
Original Assignee
Linde GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Linde GmbH filed Critical Linde GmbH
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1303481C publication Critical patent/CA1303481C/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01DSEPARATION
    • B01D3/00Distillation or related exchange processes in which liquids are contacted with gaseous media, e.g. stripping
    • B01D3/14Fractional distillation or use of a fractionation or rectification column
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C01INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
    • C01BNON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C
    • C01B17/00Sulfur; Compounds thereof
    • C01B17/48Sulfur dioxide; Sulfurous acid
    • C01B17/50Preparation of sulfur dioxide
    • C01B17/56Separation; Purification

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
  • Solid-Sorbent Or Filter-Aiding Compositions (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Liquids With Adsorbents In General (AREA)
  • Vaporization, Distillation, Condensation, Sublimation, And Cold Traps (AREA)

Abstract

"PROCESS FOR DRYING SULFUR DIOXIDE"

Abstract of the Disclosure In a process for fine drying gaseous sulfur dioxide, optionally containing hydrocarbons, the problems of muddying of drying acids or damage to the adsorbing material by the hydrocarbons associated with known processes are avoided. In the process, water is separated from the SO2 by distillation, and the heavy hydrocarbons optionally contained in the SO2 are likewise simultaneously separated from the SO2.

Description

~3~;~3~

PROCESS FOR DRYING SULFUR DIOXIDE

The invention relates to a process for the fine drying of S02, optionally containing hydrocarbons.
In csrtain processes for clesulfurization of flue gases or roaster gases or for working up o~ spent acid, as a byproduct there occurs primarily a highly concentrated S02 gas fraction. The concentrated S02 gas fraction can be either processed further directly into sulfuric acid or lique~ied after fine purification and lo delivered to further processing, e.g., in the food or pulp industry. Since any water contained in the sulfur dioxide reacts with the sulfur dioxid~ so that sulfurous acid, which has an extremely corrosive effect, forms, it is necessary to dry the 52 before liquefaction.
Previously, drying has been done either by scrubbing with concentrated sulfuric acid or adsorptively, e.g., with silica gel (LINDE Reports on Science and Technology No. 40 (1985) pp. 3-13).

~3~39L~
- 2 -Such drying processes are suitable especially for drying pure S02 but each requires its own process step~
I~ the S02 additionally contains traces of hydrocarbons, a drawback results in that, when drying with H2S04, the drying acid must be discarded after a short time since it becomes muddy. The mud CollSiStS of products of the reaction of H2S04 with the hydrocarbons and with such contaminants that the H2S04, which has absorbed the water from the S02, cannot be used any further and it can also not be regenerated economically.
With adsorptive drying, the hydrocarbons lead to a permanent damage to the adsorbing agent, so that it must be replaced a~ter a short time.
An object of one aspect of this invention is to provide an improved process for the fine drying of S02, optionally containing hydrocarbons.
These objects are achieved according to the invention by separating water from the S02 by distillation.
Thus, according to a method aspect of the invention a process is provided ~or drying an S02 stream containing water comprising separating water ~rom S02 by distillation.
According to another method aspect, the invention provides a process for drying a gaseous S02 stream containing water and hydrocarbons comprising (a) pradrying the gaseous S02 stream by cooling the same and ~3~3~

subsequently removing condensed water, ~b) adding methanol to the SO2 stream discharged ~rom the predrying step to inhibit the formation of SO2 hydrate~, and (c) removing water and hydrocarbons from the SO2 stream by distillation.
Thus, in accordance with this invention a moist SO2 ~raction, e.g., an SO2 saturated with water is ~reated in a process wherein the S02 fraction is fine dried, e.g., dried to a water content of not more than a few ppm, by separating water from the SO2 by distillation~
The invention makes it possible to integrate the drying by distillation in a subsequent distillation for the purification of SO2, resulting in the substantial advantage that a separate process step for drying is no longer necessary.
Further, it is within the scope of the invention to separate the heavy hydrocarbons optionally contained in the SO2 along with the water.
Thus, the invention provides a savings in equipment and operating material and a considerable reduction in operating costs thereby results. Also, the fact that one less process step must be carried out results in an additional advantage, i.e., the operating reliability is increased.
In a further embodiment of the invention concept, it is possible to conduct, before drying a gasQous SO2 by distillation, a rough predrying by condensation oE

~3C~

the water and subsequent separation. During such a predrying step, the gaseous S02 stream is cooled whereby water contained therein condenses. The condensed water-gas mixture is subsequently separated by phase separation.
Alternatively, a gaseous S02 stream may be treated in the predrying step so that both water and S02 condensed. If moist S02 is liquefied at a temperature above 12.1C or at an SO~ partial pressure above 2.6 bar, according to the invention a rough predrying by decanting the water can be performed before fine drying by distillation. Under these conditions, only about 4-5 mol% of water is soluble in liquid S02.
The reason why for decanting the moist S02 has to be liquefied at a temperature above 12.1C is because at lower temperatures S02-hydrates will form. According to the vapor pressure curve of S02, this temperature re~uires an S02 partial pressure above 2.5 bar.
If water condenses at temperatures below 12.1C
during cooling gaseous S02, what may happen when treating very moist gas, especially gas saturated with water vapor, at pressures too low to liquefy the S02 at temperatures above 12.1C, solid S02 hydrates may precipitate, which would disrupt the subsequent distillation. According to a special embodiment of the invention, the formation of S02 hydrates at low process pressures can be suppressed by the addition of a hydrate ~3~

inhibitor. The hydrate inhibitor may be added to the moist SO2 fraction before or after the rough predrying.
In this case, it is possible to use an alcohol (e.g., methanol, ethanol or propanol), a glycol (e.g., ethylene glycol, diethyleneglycol or triethyleneglycol), a glycol ether (one of the mono- or polyethyleneglycol-mono- or dimethylethers or one of the polyethyleneglycol-methylisopropylethers) or mixtures thereof as hydrate inhibitor. A relat:ively small amount of the additive suffices to prevent the hydrate formation. The necessary amount of additive is proportional to the water content of the feed gas and depends on the lowest operating temperature. It is common practice to determine th:is quantity for a specific additive and specific operating conditions by laboratory tests. All of these additives do not disturb the quality of the distillation, since the distillation is operated in such a way that the additive accumulates in the sump of the distillation together with the water and the heavy hydrocarbons (optionally contained in the feedgas)~ The thus recovered additive can be further processed (e.g., for reuse) together with the bottom product with no problem.
In the process according to the invention, ethanol is especially advantageous for hydrate suppression.
Methanol is economical, easily available and has a favorable viscosity. Further, in the subsequent ~3~ 9~

distillation, methanol can be separated from the SO2 without difficulties together with the water and the heavy hydrocarbons.
The process according to the invention is especially suited for the simultaneous removal of water and heavy hydrocarbons from concentrated SO2, i.e., a S2 fraction containing more than 50% of SO2 and preferably more than 70%, but by those persons skilled in the art the process can easily be adapted to treat SO2-streams with lower SO2 concentrations. The water content may range from concentrations just above the admissible concentration in liquefied SO2 (usually 0.01 by weight) up to water saturation. Usually the amount of heavy hydrocarbons present in the SO2-feed gas does not exceed several ppm by vol., but this is no limitation for the applicability o~ the process.
Several % of heavy hydrocarbons could also be handled easily.
In principle there are also no physical limitations for the SO~-product quality. The water can be removed to any low level for economic reasons; however, water is not xemoved, e.g., below 20 ppm ~by vol~. The amount of hydrocarbons still present in the product gas depends on the specific spectrum of the hydrocarbons contained in the feed gas. Aromatics for instance, which usually have the highest concentration in SO2-streams coming ~IL3~

from ore roasting processes are completely removed from the S02 when the distillative drying is performed.
The operating parameters (i.e., pressure and temperature) depend exclusively on the up- and downstream process steps. The distillative drying is not restricted to specific parameters.
Figure l illustrates an embodiment of the invention wherein the crude S02 feed gas is predried, subjected to hydrate inhibitor addition and fine dried by S02 distillation.
Crude S02 gas (1.9 bar, 120C, 11.2 mol/s, water-saturated at 55C) enters the unit through pipe 1. The crude gas has the following composition:
S2 86.74 mol%
C2 3.31 mol%
N2 1.04 mol%
2 0.39 mol%
H20 8.42 mol%
heavy hydrocarbons l,ooo ppm The gas is cooled to 20C in cooler 2 and water condenses out. Due to a pressure drop in the cooler, the pressure is reduced to 1.7 bar. The gas-water mixture is delivered by pipe 3 to a separator 4 wherein water is separated (0.8 mol/s) and removed by pipe 5.
The crude gas is drawn off by pipe 6 from the top of the separator and, after the addition of methanol (0.15 mol/s) (at 7), is fed to the lower section of a ~3~

rectifying column 8. Rectifying column 8 can contain either a packing (saturated or random) or plates. In the upper section of this column, the crude gas is partially li~uefied by a cooling coil 9. The liquefied portions act as reflux in rectifying column 8 and, due to the rectifying effect of this reflux, the water and the heavy hydrocarbons from the gas rising in the column are almost completely removed, so that the purified S02 (8.78 mol/s) is discharged from rectifying column 8 by pipe 10 at a temperature of about 1C and a pressure of 1.65 bar is virtually dry (20 ppm H20 or less). Column 8 operates at a reflux ratio (ratio of reflux divided by rising vapor) of about 0.2. At the bottom, 1.54 mol~s of a liquid with the following composition leaves recti~ying column 8 by pipe 11 at a temperature of about 5C:
S2 80.52 mol%
~2 9.09 mol%
CH30H 9.74 mol%
hydrocarbons 0.65 mol%

Claims (22)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:
1. A process for drying an SO2 stream containing water comprising separating water from SO2 by distillation.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein said SO2 further contains heavy hydrocarbons and said hydrocarbons are separated from the SO2 together with the water during distillation.
3. A process according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to separating water from a gaseous SO2 stream by distillation, the SO2 is subjected to a predrying step wherein water is condensed and subsequently removed from the resultant SO2 gas-water mixture by phase separation.
4. A process according to claim 2, further comprising, prior to separating water from SO2 by distillation, the SO2 is subjected to a predrying step wherein water is condensed and subsequently removed from the resultant SO2 gas-water mixture by phase separation.
5. A process according to claim 1, further comprising, prior to separating water from SO2 by distillation, the SO2 stream is subjected to a predrying step wherein the moist SO2 gas stream is liquefied and water is separated from liquefied SO2 by decanting the water.
6. A process according to claim 2, further comprising, prior to separating water from SO2 by distillation, the SO2 stream is subjected to a predrying step wherein the moist SO2 gas stream is liquefied and water is separated from liquefied SO2 by decanting the water.
7. A process according to claim 1, further comprising adding a hydrate inhibitor to the SO2 stream to suppress the formation of SO2 hydrate at low pressures.
8. A process according to claim 2, further comprising adding a hydrate inhibitor to the SO2 stream to suppress the formation of SO2 hydrate at low pressures.
9. A process according to claim 3, further comprising adding a hydrate inhibitor to the SO2 stream to suppress the formation of SO2 hydrate at low pressures.
10. A process according to claim 4, further comprising adding a hydrate inhibitor to the SO2 stream to suppress the formation of SO2 hydrate at low pressures.
11. A process according to claim 5, further comprising adding a hydrate inhibitor to the SO2 stream to suppress the formation of SO2 hydrate at low pressures.
12. A process according to claim 6, further comprising adding a hydrate inhibitor to the SO2 stream to suppress the formation of SO2 hydrate at low pressures.
13. A process according to claim 7, wherein said hydrate inhibitor is an alcohol, a glycol, a glycol ether or mixtures thereof.
14. A process according to claim 7, wherein said hydrate inhibitor is methanol.
15. A process according to claim 5, wherein during said predrying step, the gaseous SO2 is liquefied at a temperature above 12.1°C.
16. A process according to claim 5, wherein, during the predrying step, the gaseous SO2 is liquefied at an SO2 partial pressure above 2.5 bar.
17. A process according to claim 15, wherein, during the predrying step, the gaseous SO2 is liquefied at an SO2 partial pressure above 2.5 bar.
18. A process according to claim 9, wherein said hydrate inhibitor is added to the SO2 stream upstream of said predrying step.
19. A process according to claim 11, wherein said hydrate inhibitor is added to the SO2 stream upstream of said predrying step.
20. A process according to claim 9, wherein said hydrate inhibitor is added to the SO2 stream downstream of said predrying step.
21. A process according to claim 11, wherein said hydrate inhibitor is added to the SO2 stream downstream of said predrying step.
22. A process for drying a gaseous SO2 stream containing water and hydrocarbons comprising (a) predrying the gaseous SO2 stream by cooling the same and subsequently removing condensed water, (b) adding methanol to the SO2 stream discharged from the predrying step to inhibit the formation of SO2 hydrates, and (c) removing water and hydrocarbons from the SO2 stream by distillation.
CA000572336A 1987-07-16 1988-07-18 Process for drying sulfur dioxide Expired - Fee Related CA1303481C (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DEP3723572.9 1987-07-16
DE19873723572 DE3723572A1 (en) 1987-07-16 1987-07-16 METHOD FOR DRYING SULFUR DIOXIDE

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1303481C true CA1303481C (en) 1992-06-16

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ID=6331727

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000572336A Expired - Fee Related CA1303481C (en) 1987-07-16 1988-07-18 Process for drying sulfur dioxide

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0299418B1 (en)
AT (1) ATE81103T1 (en)
CA (1) CA1303481C (en)
CS (1) CS274630B2 (en)
DD (1) DD271894A5 (en)
DE (2) DE3723572A1 (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
RU2520121C2 (en) * 2012-07-20 2014-06-20 Общество С Ограниченной Ответственностью Научно-Исследовательский И Проектный Институт По Обустройству Нефтяных И Газовых Месторождений Method of acid gas treatment for injection into formation through injector

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN103623607A (en) * 2012-08-23 2014-03-12 范少华 Lampblack treatment system

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1917736A (en) * 1931-05-01 1933-07-11 Edeleanu Gmbh Purification of so2 recovered from refining hydrocarbons with so2
US4110087A (en) * 1976-11-02 1978-08-29 Uop Inc. Sulfur dioxide removal by absorption and fractionation
US4542114A (en) * 1982-08-03 1985-09-17 Air Products And Chemicals, Inc. Process for the recovery and recycle of effluent gas from the regeneration of particulate matter with oxygen and carbon dioxide

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
RU2520121C2 (en) * 2012-07-20 2014-06-20 Общество С Ограниченной Ответственностью Научно-Исследовательский И Проектный Институт По Обустройству Нефтяных И Газовых Месторождений Method of acid gas treatment for injection into formation through injector

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CS511488A2 (en) 1990-10-12
ATE81103T1 (en) 1992-10-15
DE3874987D1 (en) 1992-11-05
EP0299418A1 (en) 1989-01-18
DE3723572A1 (en) 1989-01-26
EP0299418B1 (en) 1992-09-30
DD271894A5 (en) 1989-09-20
CS274630B2 (en) 1991-09-15

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