Process and plant for removing thiols from synthesis gas
AssigneeL'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude
InventorsSophia SCHMIDT, Matthias LINICUS, Hincal LEICHNER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a process and a plant for removing thiols from synthesis gas. Thiols and optionally thiophene and carbon disulfide are absorbed in a dedicated absorption stage with methanol as physical absorption medium. Methanol laden with at least thiols is freed of thiols in a stripping stage with methanol vapours as stripping gas and the methanol vapours-containing thiols are freed of methanol in a scrubbing stage. The process according to the invention minimizes methanol losses and the amounts of coolant required for the process.
Claims20
A process for removing thiols from synthesis gas in a gas scrubbing process with methanol as physical absorption medium, comprising:
- (a) removing thiols from synthesis gas in an absorption stage configured for the removal of thiols by physical absorption of the thiols in methanol, wherein the absorption stage affords methanol laden with thiols and further co-absorbed gas components;
- (b) treating the laden methanol obtained according to step (a) in a stripping stage with methanol vapour as stripping gas to obtain a thiols- and methanol-comprising gaseous mixture and liquid methanol laden with co-absorbed gas components;
- (c) withdrawing the liquid methanol laden with co-absorbed gas components from the stripping stage according to step (b);
- (d) withdrawing the thiols- and methanol-comprising gaseous mixture from the stripping stage according to step (b);
- (e) removing methanol from the gaseous mixture withdrawn according to step (d) in a scrubbing stage by scrubbing with water to obtain a methanol- and water-comprising liquid mixture and gaseous thiols at least partially freed of methanol;
- (f) withdrawing the gaseous thiols at least partially freed of methanol from the scrubbing stage according to step (e);
- and
- (g) withdrawing the methanol- and water-comprising liquid mixture from the scrubbing stage according to step (e).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.