EP1246685A1

EP1246685A1 - Method and installation for reducing elementary halogen in a gaseous effluent

Info

Publication number: EP1246685A1
Application number: EP00985385A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Philippe Leduc
Original assignee: Atofina SA
Current assignee: Arkema France SA
Priority date: 1999-12-07
Filing date: 2000-12-01
Publication date: 2002-10-09
Also published as: FR2801808A1; CN1279999C; FR2801808B1; AU2182101A; US20030044336A1; WO2001041903A1; JP2003516221A; CN1407910A; US6858194B2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for reducing the elementary halogen contained in a gaseous effluent from a combustion furnace for combusting halogenated residues, comprising the bringing of said effluent into contact with hydrazine. The invention also relates to a device or an installation for treating a gaseous effluent from a combustion furnace (1) for combusting halogenated residues, comprising a unit (6, 10, 14) in which the gases are brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine. Finally, the invention relates to a solution of halohydric acid containing hydrazine.

Description

,

METHOD AND PLANT FOR REDUCING ELEMENTAL HALOGEN IN A GASEOUS EFFLUENT

The present invention relates to a new process for the reduction of elementary halogen present in an effluent, gaseous or liquid, as well as an installation for its implementation, in particular within the framework of a process for recovering chlorinated residues. The invention finally relates to a composition of hydrohalic acid containing hydrazine.

Conventionally, organic synthesis residues are destroyed by combustion. The combustion of halogenated residues, in particular chlorinated residues, presents difficulties because the combustion gases contain elemental chlorine (or free chlorine) and hydrochloric acid, which must not be evacuated into the atmosphere. Conventionally, hydrochloric acid is absorbed in water. The free chlorine as well as the traces of HCl are then eliminated by neutralization with sodium hydroxide. However, there is always elemental chlorine dissolved in the acid solution on the one hand, and elemental chlorine in the vents on the other hand, which must be removed before being discharged into the atmosphere. The soda used for this purpose, however, produces large amounts of salts, which poses other processing problems.

The document "Incineration of chlorinated hydrocarbons and the recovery of HC1", by U. Klinkhart, Symposium of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, London, May 2, 1974 gives an overview of the different techniques for purifying combustion gases and remove elemental chlorine. This document describes a process in which the combustion gases are quenched in water or a hydrochloric acid solution. These gases are then sent to an absorption column (isothermal or adiabatic) for the production of acid, the gaseous effluents from this column being treated in a washing tower by reaction with caustic soda. However, the combustion gases include a large amount of C0 ₂ ; the sodium hydroxide used to neutralize elemental chlorine therefore reacts and leads to the production of large quantities of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate. When leaving the unit, large quantities of salts are therefore produced. Applications FR-A-1473585 and FR-A-2439941 relate to improved processes and installations aimed at producing combustion gases containing as little chlorine as possible in elemental form. In application FR-A-1473585, in order to reach an elemental chlorine content in the gas resulting from the combustion which is of the order of ppm, it is necessary to inject excess water (in the form of vapor) in the combustion furnace. In application FR-A-2439941, in order to reach a content of elemental chlorine in the gas resulting from combustion which is of the order of ppm, it is necessary to inject methane into the cooling zone (at the level of the tempering). These injections pose numerous problems, in particular the size of the furnace, the complexity of the installation and its implementation. Finally, there is always necessarily a small amount of chlorine, due to the Deacon balance.

US Patent No. 2,787,525 relates to a process for removing elemental chlorine from hydrochloric acid by adding hydrazine. German patent application No. 4,344,200 relates to a process for the preparation of acid from a combustion gas containing bromine or iodine. Gas combustion is absorbed in water or dilute acid and the acid solution thus obtained is reduced using a reducing agent which may be hydrazine.

U.S. Patent No. 4,843,979 relates to an incineration system for the destruction of hazardous waste in which hydrazine is used to reduce metal oxides to metals.

We are therefore looking for a process which makes it possible to remove elemental chlorine from combustion gases without resorting to a complex installation and without producing significant saline discharges.

None of the above documents teaches or suggests the present invention.

Thus, the invention provides a process for the reduction of the elementary halogen contained in an effluent, comprising bringing this effluent into contact with hydrazine.

According to one embodiment, the effluent is a gaseous effluent. According to one embodiment, the effluent is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine.

According to one embodiment, the gaseous effluent is a gaseous effluent from a halogen residue combustion furnace. According to one embodiment, the effluent is a solution of hydrohalic acid in which the elementary halogen is dissolved, which is brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine.

According to one embodiment, the aqueous hydrazine solution comprises a solution of hydrohalic acid. ^'According to one embodiment, the halogen is chlorine.

According to one embodiment, the amount of hydrazine used is between 0.2 and 2 times the stoichiometry relative to the elementary halogen, preferably between 0.8 and 1.2. The invention further provides a device or installation for the treatment of a gaseous effluent from an oven for the combustion of halogen residues, which comprises a unit in which the gases are brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine.

According to one embodiment, said unit is a quenching reactor (6) at the outlet of the oven (1), in which the combustion gases are brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine. According to one embodiment, the quench reactor (6) is an absorption column.

According to one embodiment, the aqueous hydrazine solution is introduced via line (19).

According to one embodiment, the aqueous hydrazine solution comprises a solution of hydrohalic acid located in a recirculation loop (7).

According to one embodiment, hydrazine is introduced via line (18).

According to one embodiment, said unit (6,10,14) is an HC1 column (10) connected to the outlet of a quench reactor (6) at the outlet of the oven (1).

According to one embodiment, the aqueous hydrazine solution is introduced via line (20).

According to one embodiment, said unit (6,10,14) is a washing column (14) connected to the outlet of an HC1 column (10), itself connected to the outlet of a quench reactor ( 6) leaving the oven (1).

According to one embodiment, the aqueous hydrazine solution is introduced via line (22). Finally, the invention provides a solution of hydrohalic acid comprising hydrazine in an amount between 10 and 1000 mg / 1, preferably between 50 and 500 mg / 1.

According to one embodiment, the acid content is between 15 and 40%, advantageously between 20 and 35%.

According to one embodiment, the acid is hydrochloric or hydrobromic acid. The invention will now be described in more detail in the following description, given for hydrochloric acid, but which in fact applies to any other residue incinerator (halogen or not).

In the drawings:

- Figure 1 is a diagram of an installation for treating chlorinated residues according to the state of the art; - Figure 2 is a diagram of an installation for treating chlorinated residues according to one embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 3 is a diagram of an installation for treating chlorinated residues according to another embodiment of the invention;

- Figure 4 is a diagram of an installation for treating chlorinated residues according to yet another embodiment of the invention. Figure 5 shows the installation used for the realization of the examples.

The operation of the installation for treating chlorinated residues according to the prior art is described with reference to FIG. 1. The oven 1 is supplied with chlorinated residues 2, oxygen 3 and water 4. The source of oxygen can be air or any oxygen-containing gas. The oven temperature is conventional, for example 900-1200 ° C; the residence time is also conventional, for example around 3 s. In the oven, the classic reaction of combustion of chlorinated residues takes place, namely:

C _a H _b Cl _c + p0 ₂ + mH ₂ 0 → (m + n / 2) H ₂ 0 + aC0 ₂ +

(bn) HCl + 1/2 (n + cb) Cl ₂ + (pan / 4) 0 ₂ + Q In accordance with the Deacon equilibrium, after combustion, we obtain:

2HC1 + î_ 0 ₂ → H ₂ 0 + Cl ₂ - 20.8 kcal (exothermicity from left to right). The gases exit through line 5, they contain H ₂ 0, HCl, Cl ₂ , C0 ₂ and 0 ₂ (and possibly nitrogen in the classic case where the oxidant is air). These gases then enter the quenching reactor or quench 6, which can be assimilated to a column with hydrochloric acid recirculation. This quench reactor is preferably an absorption column. The temperature in the quench is low, for example 60-80 ° C. The abrupt cooling of the gases is intended to limit the formation of elemental chlorine, in accordance with the Deacon equilibrium (supra). The recirculation loop 7 contains a hydrochloric acid solution, the concentration of which depends on the temperature and the pressure, and is for example 30%. Purge 8 makes it possible in particular to remove soot and metals. Provision could also be made for the quenching to function like a column, in particular against the current, the cooling fluid injected into the column this time being water or a solution of hydrochloric acid, for example at a concentration of less than 30%. Via line 9, the cooled combustion gases are discharged.

These gases enter the HCl column 10. This column is supplied with recirculated HCl and previously diluted with water supplied through line 11. 33% hydrochloric acid (commercial content) is recovered at the bottom by line 12. However, this acid is contaminated with a small amount of chlorine from the combustion gases which dissolves in the acid solution and which affects its commercial quality. The gases leave the HCl column via line 13, and at this stage include Cl ₂ , C0 ₂ and O ₂ , as well as traces of HCl (and possibly nitrogen).

These gases enter the soda column (eg washing tower) 14. This column is supplied with NaOH soda by a recirculation loop 15 and its soda concentration is kept constant by means of a soda inlet via the conduit. 21. This column on the one hand neutralizes the excess of HCl and part of the C0 ₂ leaving the preceding column and on the other hand above all eliminates the chlorine before rejection into the atmosphere, the chlorine content having to be maintained according to the regulations in force at a content of less than 5 ppm in the exhaust gases. C0 ₂ and O ₂ gases (and possibly nitrogen) are therefore rejected via line 16. Line 17 discharges the salts formed in the sodium hydroxide column, namely NaCl, NaOCl, Na ₂ C0 ₃ , NaHC0 ₃ , as well as the excess sodium hydroxide NaOH not consumed. Soda consumption is therefore high, in particular due to the presence of large quantities of carbon dioxide in the combustion gases, which reacts with soda to form carbonates and bicarbonates.

It is therefore clear that this installation is heavy and suffers from the many aforementioned drawbacks. The operation of the installation for treating chlorinated residues according to a first embodiment of the invention is described with reference to FIG. 2. The furnace 1 and its supply lines are identical to those described in FIG. , the quenching column is identical to the previous column. The supply to the column is however modified so as to inject hydrazine (in its hydrate form) into said column. This hydrazine supply is preferably done at the level of the recirculation loop; a line 18 thus introduces an appropriate quantity of hydrazine N ₂ H ₄ . The quench reactor 6 is therefore supplied with a solution of hydrochloric acid and hydrazine. The hydrazine could also be introduced in the form of an independent aqueous solution, for example via a line 19. The hydrazine (in its hydrate form) reacts with elemental chlorine according to the following reaction scheme: 2C1 ₂ + N ₂ H ₄ , H ₂ 0 → N ₂ + ° 4HC1 + H ₂ 0 or abstracting the water molecule: 2C1 ₂ + N ₂ H ₄ → N ₂ + ° 4HC1 The quantity of hydrazine introduced may be in slight excess compared to to stoichiometry with respect to chlorine (for example between 1 and 1.2 times the stoechimetry). The amount of hydrazine in the recirculation loop or line 19 is between 10 and 1000 mg / 1, preferably between 50 and 500 mg / 1.

In the quench reactor 6, there is therefore a reduction, or even an elimination, of the elemental chlorine contained in the combustion gases.

This introduction of hydrazine at the quenching level is possible because the hydrazine is active even in concentrated acid medium (of the type of hydrochloric acid solution present in the recirculation loop) and the products formed are identical to the products already present in the incinerator vent, namely N ₂ , HCl. The introduction of hydrazine therefore takes place almost at the source of the chlorine. This preferred embodiment offers several advantages:

- it offers the possibility of thus removing the soda column (a final washing with water can possibly be kept to remove the last possible traces of HCl); - the 33% hydrochloric acid solution is free of dissolved free chlorine;

- the chlorine yield of the chlorinated residue recovery unit is improved

(direct recovery of chlorine into HCl and gain of HCl with respect to the neutralization of the effluents from the soda column);

- The quantity of effluents is greatly reduced and reduced in fact to the sole purge of the quench reactor 6; - the quantity of salt rejected is extremely low, even zero; corrosion in the unit is reduced. Hydrazine can in fact be introduced at any level of a conventional installation, for example at the level of the HCl column or at the level of the last column, in place of the sodium hydroxide. Thus, with reference to FIG. 3, a second embodiment of the invention is described. This time, the hydrazine is introduced via a line 20 on the HCl recirculation loop. The hydrazine then reacts with the chlorine at the level of the HCl column; the hydrochloric acid produced is then also substantially free of dissolved elemental chlorine. Thus, with reference to FIG. 4, a third embodiment of the invention is described. This time, the hydrazine is introduced via a line 22 on the recirculation loop of the washing column 14. The soda supply can then be greatly reduced, or even eliminated.

In these two embodiments, the general advantages listed for the first embodiment are obtained.

Hydrazine can be introduced: only at the quenching reactor, or only at the HCl column, or only at the sodium hydroxide column, or at the quenching reactor and the HCl column, or at the level from the quench reactor and the sodium hydroxide column, or at the level of the HCl column and the sodium hydroxide column, or at the level of the quench reactor and the HCl column and the sodium hydroxide column.

In addition, provision may be made, whatever the embodiment of the invention chosen, for placing a boiler between the furnace 1 and the quench reactor 6.

The invention covers the treatment of gaseous and liquid effluents. In the case of gaseous effluents, these contain halogen, for example chlorine, in the form Cl ₂ , to be eliminated, in association with other gaseous compounds, such as H ₂ 0, HCl, C0 and 0 ₂ . This gaseous effluent is then brought into contact with hydrazine, in particular in its hydrate form, in solution in water (which may be an acid solution), if necessary in alcoholic solution. In the case of liquid effluents, these are acidic aqueous solutions containing dissolved gas, these traces of gas contaminating the acid solution. This acid solution is brought into contact with a hydrazine solution, which can be simply aqueous or acid, with an acid content of between 15 and 40%, advantageously between 20 and 35%.

The hydrazine used is in particular (but not limited to) used in its hydrate form.

The following example illustrates the invention without limiting it. Examples

Tests were carried out on the installation shown in Figure 5, as follows.

A gaseous mixture composed of nitrogen and chlorine is first prepared in a so-called standard bottle 50. This mixture is then introduced continuously (pure or diluted with nitrogen) into a bubbler 51 containing a 36% HCl solution maintained at 60 ° C. by a water bath. This solution also contains hydrazine, the initial concentration of which is around 200 to 300 ppm. This concentration is kept constant by continuously adding a dilute solution of hydrazine hydrate from a balloon 52. The gases leaving the bubbler 51 are directed to a series of traps (first a water trap 53 for HCl, then sodium hydroxide traps 54 and 55 for chlorine) to allow an overall assessment of the test.

a) High chlorine content

In a first series of tests, a mixture of nitrogen and chlorine, the chlorine content of which is 15% by weight based on the weight of the mixture, is introduced at a rate of 1.12 1 / h into the bubbler 51 initially containing 243 g of 36% HCl and 309 ppm of hydrazine hydrate N ₂ H ₄ , H ₂ 0.

Simultaneously, an aqueous solution of 0.2 mol / l of hydrazine hydrate is also introduced into the bubbler, at a rate of 7.25 ml / h.

After 4 hours of operation, the material balance is established as follows:

Chlorine introduced (theoretical) 14 mmol

Hydrazine remaining in the bubbler 51,200 ppm

Hydrazine hydrate consumed 6.5 mmol

Or, reduced amount of chlorine 13 mmol

Chlorine in the soda trap 54 0 A m moles

Chlorine in soda trap 55 0.04 mmol

The chlorine reduction rate (reduced chlorine / total chlorine dosed) is therefore 98.9%.

b) Low chlorine content

In a second series of tests, a mixture of nitrogen and chlorine, the chlorine content of which is 15% by weight relative to the weight of the mixture, is introduced at the rate of 1.22 l / h into the bubbler 51, but after dilution by mixing with a nitrogen stream of 250 l / h, which represents a chlorine concentration of the order of 300 ppm in the gas stream.

The bubbler initially contains 243 g of 36% HCl and 309 ppm of hydrazine hydrate N ₂ H ₄ , H ₂ 0.

Simultaneously, an aqueous solution of 0.2 mol / l of hydrazine hydrate is also introduced into the bubbler, at a rate of 12.5 ml / h.

After 3 hours of operation, the material balance is established as follows:

Chlorine introduced (theoretical) 11 mmol Hydrazine remaining in the bubbler 51,700 ppm Hydrazine hydrate consumed 5.55 mmol

Or, reduced amount of chlorine 11.1 mmol Chlorine in the soda trap 54 0.08 moles Chlorine in the soda trap 55: no chlorine The chlorine reduction rate (reduced chlorine / total chlorine dosed) is then 99.3%.

c) Presence of oxygen

A third series of tests was carried out by introducing 250 l / h of air only into the bubbler 51 containing 36% HCl and 300 ppm of hydrazine.

After 3 hours of operation, all of the hydrazine introduced is found, which demonstrates that under these conditions, the oxygen in the air does not succeed in oxidizing the hydrazine hydrate in solution in HCl.

The conditions of the above tests are more unfavorable than those prevailing in an industrial installation because a simple bubbler 51 is used, whereas in an industrial installation, instead of bubbler 51, an absorption column is used, which allows a better contact between compounds and, therefore, an even greater reduction in chlorine.

Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments indicated, but is susceptible of numerous variants easily accessible to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method of reducing the elementary halogen contained in a gaseous effluent from a halogen residue combustion oven, comprising bringing said effluent into contact with hydrazine.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said effluent is contacted with an aqueous solution of hydrazine.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the aqueous hydrazine solution comprises a solution of hydrohalic acid.

4. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the halogen is chlorine.

5. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the amount of hydrazine used is between 0.2 and 2 times the stoichiometry relative to the elementary halogen.

6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the amount of hydrazine used is between 0.8 and 1.2 times the stoichiometry relative to the elementary halogen.

7. Device for treating a gaseous effluent from a furnace (1) for combustion of halogen residues, comprising a unit (6, 10, 14) in which the gases are brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine.

8. Device according to claim 7, wherein said unit is a quenching reactor (6) at the outlet of the oven (1), in which the combustion gases are brought into contact with an aqueous solution of hydrazine.

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the quench reactor (6) is an absorption column.

10. Device according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the aqueous hydrazine solution is introduced via the line (19).

11. Device according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the aqueous hydrazine solution comprises a solution of hydrohalic acid located in a recirculation loop (7).

12. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 11, in which hydrazine is introduced via the line (18).

13. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein said unit (6,10,14) is an HCl column (10) connected to the outlet of a quench reactor (6) at the outlet of the furnace ( 1).

14. Device according to claim 13, in which the aqueous hydrazine solution is introduced via the line (20).

15. Device according to any one of claims 7 to 14, wherein said unit (6,10,14) is a washing column (14) connected to the outlet of an HCl column (10), itself connected at the outlet of a quench reactor (6) at the outlet of the furnace (1).

16. Device according to claim 15, in which the aqueous hydrazine solution is introduced via the line (22).

17. Hydrogen hydrochloric acid solution comprising hydrazine in an amount between 10 and 1000 mg / 1, preferably between 50 and 500 mg / 1.

18. Solution according to claim 17, having an acid content of between 15 and 40%, advantageously between 20 and 35%.

19. The solution of claim 17 or 18, wherein the acid is hydrochloric acid.