Reducing fouling in amine systems
AssigneeExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
InventorRichard A. Symes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention generally relates to processes for reducing fouling in amine systems and to equipment useful in such processes. Such amine systems are useful for removing one or more acidic gases such as CO2 or H2S from olefin containing hydrocarbon streams. The invention generally relates to minimizing residence time of foulant and foulant precursors at the relatively high temperature found in the amine regenerator and/or to purging the foulant and foulant precursors from the regenerator system. This is accomplished by operating the regenerator column as a stripper (no reflux) and re-routing reflux liquid containing foulant or foulant precursors to a processing location that is less prone to fouling or, optionally, by replacing the reflux liquid with fresh make-up amine or water.
Claims10
An amine regeneration process, comprising:
- (a) providing a rich amine mixture comprising water, amine, acid gas, foulant, and foulant precursor;
- (b) heating the rich amine mixture to form a vapor stream and a liquid regenerated amine mixture, the vapor stream comprising at least a portion of the acid gas, water, amine, foulant, and foulant precursor, the liquid regenerated amine mixture comprising the remaining water and amine;
- (c) cooling and separating the vapor stream to form a sour gas stream comprising at least a portion of the acid gas and a sour amine stream comprising water, amine, foulant and foulant precursor, and residual acid gas, wherein the separation includes stripping without reflux;
- and
- (d) conducting the entire sour amine stream away to a location that is less prone to fouling than the amine regeneration process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.