# US 2025/0170519 A1 · Method and apparatus for recovering absorbing agents in acid gas treatment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0170519 A1 - Document ID: US20250170519A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/901,571 - Filed: 2024-09-30 - Published: 2025-05-29 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-05 - Assignees: Ineos Americas, LLC - Applicants: Ineos Americas, LLC - Inventors: Ulises I. Cruz; Erik J. Stewart; Rodrigo Zamora - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250170519A1 ## CPC - B01D 53/1425: {Regeneration of liquid absorbents} - B01D 53/1456: {Removing acid components} - B01D 53/1493: {Selection of liquid materials for use as absorbents} - B01D 53/18: Absorbing units; Liquid distributors therefor (B01D3/16, B01D3/26, B01D3/30 take precedence; packing elements B01J19/30, B01J19/32) - C10G 21/12: Organic compounds only - C10G 21/28: Recovery of used solvent - C10G 70/06: by gas-liquid contact - C10K 1/003: {of acid contaminants, e.g. acid gas removal} - C10L 3/103: {Sulfur containing contaminants} - C10L 3/104: {Carbon dioxide} - B01D 2252/20405: Monoamines - B01D 2252/2041: Diamines - B01D 2252/504: Mixtures of two or more absorbents - C10G 2300/203: Naphthenic acids, TAN - C10G 2300/207: Acid gases, e.g. H2S, COS, SO2, HCN - C10G 2300/208: Sediments, e.g. bottom sediment and water or BSW - C10L 3/101: {Removal of contaminants} - C10L 2290/541: Absorption of impurities during preparation or upgrading of a fuel - Y02C 20/40: of CO2 - B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28) - C10G: CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g. BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION (cracking to hydrogen or synthesis gas C01B; cracking or pyrolysis of hydrocarbon gases to individual hydrocarbons or mixtures thereof of definite or specified constitution C07C; cracking to cokes C10B); RECOVERY OF HYDROCARBON OILS FROM OIL-SHALE, OIL-SAND, OR GASES; REFINING MIXTURES MAINLY CONSISTING OF HYDROCARBONS; REFORMING OF NAPHTHA; MINERAL WAXES - C10K: PURIFYING OR MODIFYING THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COMBUSTIBLE GASES CONTAINING CARBON MONOXIDE - C10L: FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS OBTAINED BY PROCESSES NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C10G OR C10K; LIQUIFIED PETROLEUM GAS; USE OF ADDITIVES TO FUELS OR FIRES; FIRE-LIGHTERS - Y02C: CAPTURE, STORAGE, SEQUESTRATION OR DISPOSAL OF GREENHOUSE GASES [GHG] ## Abstract A method and apparatus for continuously treating acid gases including recovering absorbent chemicals by introducing streams leaving a regenerator and/or leaving an absorber into a static mixing zone wherein supplemental washing water is added to recover absorbent chemicals. Improvements to the prior art methods are provided where one or more absorbent chemical recovery units are included to increase the amount of recovered absorbent chemicals exiting the regenerator and/or exiting the absorber are increased and/or maximized. Absorbent chemical recovery units can include mixing units where liquid is added to the stream of sour gas and absorbent chemical to mix with and absorb the absorbent chemical from the stream. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-59. (canceled) ### Claim 60 A continuous process for acid gas removal comprising the following steps: (a) introducing into an absorber having an absorber interior and an absorption zone located in the absorber interior a mixture of process gas and acid gas; (b) counter-currently contacting in the absorption zone the mixture of process gas and acid gas referred to in step “a” with an absorbent chemical, and water, the absorbent chemical and water are in solution prior to contact and (c) removing the process gas overhead from the absorption zone; (d) removing the absorbent chemical and water solution with the acid gas absorbed therein from the bottom of the absorption zone; (e) introducing the solution from step “d” into a regenerator having a regeneration interior and a regeneration zone located in the regeneration interior; (f) separating a mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water from the solution referred to in step “e”, the separated absorbent chemical and water portion being in the form of vapor, and removing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water overhead from the regeneration zone; (g) introducing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f” to a static mixing zone not located in the regeneration interior, wherein supplemental washing water is added and intimately mixed with the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f”, thereby creating a water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution, and wherein the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution and the supplemental washing water have co-current flows; (h) passing the water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution of step “g” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the water washed separated mixture is reduced; (i) removing the balance of the solution referred to in step “f” from the bottom of the regeneration zone; (j) passing the solution from step “i” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the solution is reduced; and (k) recycling the solution of step “j” to the absorption zone. ### Claim 61 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “a”, the absorbent chemical is an alkanolamine is selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), and mixtures of MDEA with other chemicals comprising combinations with one or more other amines, piperazines, acids, alkaline salts or physical solvents. ### Claim 62 A continuous process for acid gas removal comprising the following steps: (a) introducing into an absorber having an absorber interior and an absorption zone located in the absorber interior a mixture of process gas and acid gas; (b) counter-currently contacting in the absorption zone the mixture of process gas and acid gas referred to in step “a” with an absorbent chemical, and water, the absorbent chemical and water are in solution prior to contact and (c) removing the process gas overhead from the absorption zone; (d) removing the absorbent chemical and water solution with the acid gas absorbed therein from the bottom of the absorption zone; (e) introducing the solution from step “d” into a regenerator having a regeneration interior and a regeneration zone located in the regeneration interior; (f) separating a mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water from the solution referred to in step “e”, the separated absorbent chemical and water portion being in the form of vapor, and removing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water overhead from the regeneration zone; (g) introducing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f” to a static mixing zone not located in the regeneration interior, wherein supplemental washing water is added and intimately mixed with the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f”, thereby creating a water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution, and wherein the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution and the supplemental washing water have co-current flows; (h) passing the water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution of step “g” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the water washed separated mixture is reduced; (i) removing the balance of the solution referred to in step “f” from the bottom of the regeneration zone; (j) passing the solution from step “i” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the solution is reduced; and (k) recycling the solution of step “j” to the absorption zone, wherein the static mixing device includes at least two mixer elements arranged consecutively in the tube and the adjacent elements are rotationally offset from each other above the longitudinal axis of the tube. ### Claim 63 (depends on 62) The method of claim 62, wherein the rotational offset about the longitudinal axis is ninety degrees. ### Claim 64 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “g” the operating pressure of the static mixing zone is between 34.5 and 206.7 kilopascals (5 and 30 pounds per square inch). ### Claim 65 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “g” the pressure drop across the static mixing zone is between 6.9 and 34.5 kilopascals (1 and 5 pounds per square inch). ### Claim 66 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “g” the temperature of the static mixing zone is between 93.3° C. and 115° C. (200° F. and 240° F.). ### Claim 67 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “g” the static mixing zone has an L/V Ratio of between 0.5 and 2. ### Claim 68 A continuous process for acid gas removal comprising the following steps: (a) introducing into an absorber having an absorber interior and an absorption zone located in the absorber interior a mixture of process gas and acid gas; (b) counter-currently contacting in the absorption zone the mixture of process gas and acid gas referred to in step “a” with an absorbent chemical, and water, the absorbent chemical and water are in solution prior to contact and (c) removing the process gas overhead from the absorption zone; (d) removing the absorbent chemical and water solution with the acid gas absorbed therein from the bottom of the absorption zone; (e) introducing the solution from step “d” into a regenerator having a regeneration interior and a regeneration zone located in the regeneration interior; (f) separating a mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water from the solution referred to in step “e”, the separated absorbent chemical and water portion being in the form of vapor, and removing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water overhead from the regeneration zone; (g) introducing the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f” to a static mixing zone not located in the regeneration interior, wherein supplemental washing water is added and intimately mixed with the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water referred to in step “f”, thereby creating a water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution, and wherein the separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution and the supplemental washing water have co-current flows; (h) passing the water washed separated mixture of acid gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution of step “g” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the water washed separated mixture is reduced; (i) removing the balance of the solution referred to in step “f” from the bottom of the regeneration zone; (j) passing the solution from step “i” into a cooling zone wherein the temperature of the solution is reduced; and (k) recycling the solution of step “j” to the absorption zone, wherein in step “g” the at least one mixing element includes crossed webs disposed at an angle with the longitudinal axis, the webs being disposed in at least two groups, the webs of any one group of elements extending substantially parallel to one another and the webs of one group crossing the webs of the other group. ### Claim 69 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “g” the efficiency of the static mixing zone is at least 95 percent. ### Claim 70 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “g” the efficiency of the static mixing zone is at least 99 percent. ### Claim 71 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein in step “h” the temperature of the water washed separated mixture is reduced by a range of between about 2° F. to about 210° F.; and in step “j” the temperature of the solution is reduced by a range of between about 2° F. to about 210° F. ### Claim 72 (depends on 60) The method of claim 60, wherein the process gas removed overhead from the absorption zone of step “c” has absorbent chemicals and further comprising the step of introducing the process gas removed overhead from the absorption zone of step “c” into a second static mixing zone not located in the absorber interior wherein supplemental washing water is added and intimately mixed with the process gas removed overhead from the absorption zone step “c”, thereby creating a water washed mixture of process gas, absorbent chemical, and water solution. ### Claim 73 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the operating pressure of the second static mixing zone is between 13.8 and 8,274 kilopascals (2 and 1,200 pounds per square inch). ### Claim 74 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the pressure drop across the second static mixing zone is between 6.9 and 34.5 kilopascals (1 and 5 pounds per square inch). ### Claim 75 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the temperature of the second static mixing zone is between 10° C. and 65.6° C. (50° F. and 150° F.). ### Claim 76 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the second static mixing zone has an L/V Ratio of between 0.1 and 1.5. ### Claim 77 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the efficiency of the second static mixing zone is at least 95 percent. ### Claim 78 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the efficiency of the second static mixing zone is at least 99 percent. ### Claim 79 (depends on 72) The method of claim 72, wherein the process gas moved overhead from the absorption zone and the supplemental washing water have co-current flows.