Fluor Solvent process

The Fluor Solvent Process removes CO2 from natural gas and various industrial gas streams by dissolving the CO2 in a propylene carbonate solvent. The process is based on the principle that CO2 is much more soluble in low-temperature propylene carbonate than other common gases. It should be noted that the process cannot be used when H2S is present1. 

Fluor Solvent Process, 1198 Selexol Process, 1202 Sepasolv MPE Process, 1210 Purisol Process, 1210 Rectisol Process, 1215 Ifpexol Process, 1223 Estasolvan Process, 1224 Methylcyanoacetate Process, 1225... 

This trend to physical solvents accelerated in 1960 with the introduction of the Fluor Solvent Process, which was followed by several other physical solvent processes. More recently, a new class of process based on the use of a mixed absorbent, containing both a physical and a chemical solvent, has been commercialized. Both simple physical solvent and mixed solvent processes are described in this chapter. 

The Fluor Solvent process, which is licensed by Fluor Daniel, Inc., was introduced in 1960 (Kohl and Buckingham, 1960). Although several solvents were covered by U.S. patents, only propylene carbonate has been used commercially. The process has been applied in 1.3 commercial installations—nine processing natural gas, two ammonia synthesis gas, and two hydrogen. 

The Fluor Solvent process uses flash regeneration as depicted in Figure 14-1(A). Commercial plants utilize several flashes of the rich solvent at decreasing pressure levels with recycling of the gas evolved in the high pressure flash. Lean solvent temperatures as low as... 

The operation of the Fluor Solvent process in the initial commercial plant has been described by Buckingham (1%1). This author has also reported performaiKe data for four plants treating natural gas (Buckingham, 1964). Data from these plants are given in Table 14-8. 

An economic study comparing the Fluor Solvent process with the activated hot potassium carbonate process for the removal of carbon dioxide from synthesis gas for the production of ammonia and urea has been reported by Cook and Tennyson (1969). The authors concluded that the process is more economical than activated hot potassium carbonate in all cases stud-... 

Figure 14-6. Fluor Solvent process plant treating high pressure natural gas. Fluor Daniel and El Paso Natural Gas Company...

Buckingham, P. A., 1961, Fluor Solvent Process Demonstrated in EPNG Plant, paper presented at NGAA Regional Meeting, Odessa, TX, May. 

Buckingham, P. A., 1964, Fluor Solvent Process Plants How They Are Working, Hydro. Process., Vol. 43, April, pp. 113-116. 

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