AMDEA process

OmniSulf A process for removing C02, H2S, and mercaptans from acid gases. A joint development of Lurgi and BASF, based on the aMDEA process. 

Key features are the high reforming pressure (up to 41 bar) to save compression energy, use of Uhde s proprietary reformer design [1084] with rigid connection of the reformer tubes to the outlet header, also well proven in many installations for hydrogen and methanol service. Steam to carbon ratio is around 3 and methane slip from the secondary reformer is about 0.6 mol % (dry basis). The temperature of the mixed feed was raised to 580 °C and that of the process air to 600 °C. Shift conversion and methanation have a standard configuration, and for C02 removal BASF s aMDEA process is preferred, with the possibility of other process options, too. Synthesis is performed at about 180 bar in Uhde s proprietary converter concept with two catalyst beds in the first pressure vessel and the third catalyst bed in the second vessel. 

Meibner, H., Wammes, W., and Hefner, W., Improving the performance of BASF s AMDEA-process by optimization of the activator concentration, Nitrogen, 91 151-164 (1991). 

For example, Benfield process (UOP) and aMDEA process (BASF). 

The aMDEA (Activated Methyl Diethanolamine) process removes CO2, H2S and trace sulfur compounds from natural gas and syngas via a pressurized wash with activated diethanolamine. This process was developed by BASF. The first unit was started up in 1971 in Germany and in 2002 it was used in more than 140 plants with 20 more under construction1. About 75 of these plants involve another process technology (MEA, DEA, Benfield, etc.) that was modified to use the aMDEA technology. 

CO is converted to C02 in the HT and LT shift over standard catalysts. C02 is removed in a scrubbing unit, which is normally either the BASF-aMDEA or the UOP-Benfield process. Remaining carbonoxides are reconverted to methane in the catalytic methanation to trace ppm levels. 

Alkanolamine MEA processes aMDEA Hot poptash processes Selexol Selexol Fluor solvent Fluor solvent Purisol Purisol Rectisol Rectisol Sulfinol D Sulfinol D... 

Blended amine solvents are proposed to combine the advantages of each component. The optimal recipe typically comprises a principal solvent with high net CO2 capacity and an activator exhibiting fast reaction kinetics to improve the efficiency of both the absorption and regeneration processes. A successful example is activated MDEA (aMDEA) developed by BASF [16], which presents the merits of moderate energy requirement, excellent chemici stability and improved reactivity. In this work, we investigate two additional blended solvent systems AMP+PZ and DMAE+PZ. 

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