Acid-regeneration plant

If a waste sulfuric acid regeneration plant is not available, eg, as part of a joint acrylate—methacrylate manufacturing complex, the preferred catalyst for esterification is a sulfonic acid type ion-exchange resin. In this case the residue from the ester reactor bleed stripper can be disposed of by combustion to recover energy value as steam. 

Flue gas containing HC1 goes to a venturi preconcentrator and an absorption column. There, the generated acid contains approximately 18% HC1 by weight. Emissions from acid regeneration plants range from about 1 to more than 10 tpy from existing facilities with and without pollution control devices (controlled and uncontrolled facilities). 

Acid regeneration plants have storage tanks for spent and regenerated acid and these tanks are potential sources of HC1 emissions. Emission estimates for uncontrolled and controlled storage tanks at acid regeneration facilities are 0.0126 and 0.008 tpy per 1000 gallons of storage capacity, respectively. 

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Source Categories Generic Maximum Achievable Control Technology Standards National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Steel Pickling—HCI Process Facilities and Hydrochloric Acid Regeneration Plants National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Mineral Wool Production National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Hazardous Waste Combustors National Emission Standards for Pharmaceuticals Production... 

The acid is delivered to the spent acid regeneration plant by ... 

The transferred heat is usually used to heat 1st catalyst bed feed gas to its specified input temperature (in metallurgical and waste acid regeneration plants). 

Metallurgical and spent acid regeneration plants are not quite so steady, but the steady state assumption is still reasonable. 

Pollutants for Steel Pickling—HCI Process Facilities and Hydrochloric Acid Regeneration Plants Subpart DDD National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air... 

The first commercial application of the Wellman-Lord process was at the Olin Corp. sulfuric acid regeneration plant in Paulsboro, N. J. This plant regenerates 700 tons of sulfuric acid/day and handles a variety of spent acids. The sulfur dioxide content of the tail gas varies as the blends of these acids change. 

Olin s absorber system can process 45,000 SCFM of tail gas contain-up to 6,000 ppm sulfur dioxide by volume. The cleaned gas, containing less than 500 ppm of sulfur dioxide, is discharged into the atmosphere. The recovered sulfur dioxide vapor is returned to the acid-regeneration plant to produce sulfuric acid. 

Heat loss from large process vessels can best be pinpointed with an infrared picture of the unit. A less sophisticated but much more dramatic method is to observe the effect of a sudden rainstorm. On a sulfuric acid regeneration plant that was operating at 50% of design charge rate, the reactor outlet temperature dropped 100°F with every heavy rain. After reinsulation, the effect of rain was barely noticed. 

But then I realized that I had seen all this before. Six years before, in 1974, 1 had been the operating superintendent of a sulfuric acid regeneration plant in Texas City. Acid was lifted out of our mix tank by injecting nitrogen into the bottom of a 2-inch riser pipe. The shift operators called it an "air lift pump."... 

Sulfuric acid is produced by burning sulfur and H S to SO with air. Then more air is added and reacted in a catalyst bed of vanadium pentoxide to produce SO. The SO, is mixed with water to make sulfuric acid. The reaction is exothermic and takes place in the vapor phase. Sulfuric acid is, by weight, one of the main chemicals produced in the world. I spent 1974 to 1976 in charge of a sulfuric acid regeneration plant in Texas City. In 1975, I had 34 shutdowns and start-ups. I ve kept a piece of lead wire, part of that awful plant, in my desk drawer. When things seem bad, that memento reminds me that it could be a lot worse. 

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