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• We are experiencing frequent amine carry-over from our high pressure amine absorber. What are the possible causes and solutions?

  Jan-2022

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Answers

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• Marcello Ferrara, ITW Technologies, mferrara@itwtechnologies.com

  This is a very common problem in amine absorbers. The causes of the carry-over can be various and often linked together: fouling, plugged trays, foaming, antifoam performance, off-spec inlet gas, corrosion and erosion of metal components, low filtration efficiency.

  Generally, all these causes are related to amine degradation and therefore to a high HSS content and connected problems.

  Sometimes even at low HSS concentrations the problems of fouling, foaming, and corrosion may not be sustainable.

  Given that all reclaiming techniques have no impact on the existing fouling and on HSS control methods such as neutralisation and solution purging/amine make-up have almost no effect on HSS formation/build- up, ITW technologies can give a holistic solution to the problem.

  The holistic ITW approach implies the use of different proprietary technologies, according to the following path:
  1) ITW Online Cleaning for cleaning the entire unit. This implies circulation of a proprietary chemical, which will dissolve the existing fouling. The cleaning will take 24 hours on a feed-out/feed-in basis.

  The unit will resume production under clean conditions. This will be particularly beneficial for foaming control, in that the existing fouling has a major contribution to foam, namely: a) by creating delta P inside the absorber and thereby reducing the capacity; b) by creating a restriction inside the internals and thereby locally increasing gas velocity; c) by stabilising the foam because some fouling will be suspended in the amine.

  2) HSS reduction on the circulating amine. Another proprietary chemical will be added (on a shot basis) to reduce the existing HSS in the amine.

  3) HSS formation prevention. After the previous steps, the unit will be clean and the circulating amine will have reduced HSS.

  At this point, another proprietary chemical will be added on a continuous basis to prevent HSS formation. This will allow sustainable operations and reduce operating costs.

   

  Jan-2022