Sulfinol

The Sulfinol gas conditioning process of Shell uses dksopropanolamine in a sulfolane solvent system. This system also increases gas capacity with improved efficiencies (152). 

The process is capable of achieving higher solubiHties of CO2 in the solution without the corrosion problems encountered with amine systems before the advent of Amine Guard. The Sulfinol process is used in over 50 plants worldwide nevertheless, it is used less often than the amine or carbonate processes. 

Physical solvent type Fluor solvents (propylene carbonate example), Selexol Physical/chemical type Sulfinol Carbonate type Potassium carbonate Solution batch type Lo-Cat, Chemsweet Bed batch type Iron Sponge, Mol Sieve... 

The Sulfinol process from Shell Development Company is a good example of the physical/chemical type of process. It blends a physical solvent and an amine to obtain the advantages of both. The physical solvent is Sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene dioxide) and the amine is usually DIPA (diisopropanol amine). The flow scheme is the same as for an amine plant. ... 

Licensed by Shell the Sulfinol process combines the properties of a physical and a chemical solvent. The Sulfinol solution consists of a mixture of sulfolane (tetrahydrothiophene 1-1 dioxide), which is a physical solvent, diisopropanolamine (DIPA), and water. DIPA is a chemical solvent that was discussed under the amines. 

The physical solvent sulfolane provides the system with bulk removal capacity. Sulfolane is an excellent solvent of sulfur compounds such as H2S, COS, and CS2. Aromatic and heavy hydrocarbons and CO2 are soluble in sulfolane to a lesser degree. The relative amounts of DIPA and sulfolane are adjusted for each gas stream to custom fit each application. Sulfinol is usually used for streams with an H2S to CO2 ratio greater than 1 1 or where it is not necessary to remove the CO2 to the same levels as is required for H2S removal. The physical solvent allows much greater solution loadings of acid gas than for pure amine-based systems. Typically, a Sulfinol solution of 40% sulfolane, 40% DIPA and 20% water can remove 1.5 moles of acid gas per mole of Sulfinol solution. 

I roin Figure 7-12 for removing CO2 and H2S, possible processes are amines, Sulfinol, or carbonates. 

Important processes commercially used are the Selexol, the Sulfinol, and the Rectisol processes. In these processes, no chemical reaction occurs between the acid gas and the solvent. The solvent, or absorbent, is a liquid that selectively absorbs the acid gases and leaves out the hydrocarbons. In the Selexol process for example, the solvent is dimethyl ether of polyethylene glycol. Raw natural gas passes countercurrently to the descending solvent. When the solvent becomes saturated with the acid gases, the pressure is reduced, and hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide are desorbed. The solvent is then recycled to the absorption tower. Figure 1-1 shows the Selexol process. ... 

Sulfinol-X Shell Global Solutions Diisopropanolamine/MDEA + sulfolane + accelerator... 

Sulfinol A process for removing hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, carbonyl sulfide, and organic sulfur compounds from natural gas by scrubbing with di-isopropanolamine dissolved in a mixture of sulfolane and water. Developed in the 1960s by Shell International Research Mij N.V, The Netherlands and Shell Development Company, Houston. In 1996, over 180 commercial units were operating or under construction. 

Sulfolane A process for removing aromatic hydrocarbons from petroleum fractions by liquid-liquid extraction using sulfolane (tetramethylene sulfone tetrahydrothiophene-1,1-dioxide) at approximately 190°C. Developed by Shell Development Company in 1959 and first commercialized in 1962 now licensed through UOP. It replaced the Udex process. Sulfolane is used for another purpose in the Sulfinol process. 

Sulfinates, 72 182 titanium, 25 119-120 Sulfinic acid salts, 23 658 Sulfinol process... 

Sulfolane plus di-isopropanola-mine Shell Sulfinol 110 Atm-1000 higher pressures favored Yes, <4 ppmv COS, mercaptans, total sulfur <16 ppmv... 

Some acid-gas removal systems include mixed solvents - usually an amine in a physical solvent. This approach modifies the relative characteristics of the physical solvent by the amine and provides many of the advantages of each. Generally, only a moderate degree of selectivity can be achieved, but the total system appears to be improved. Typical in this area are the Sulfinol and Amisol processes. 

The gas from separation and stabilization flows to contacting towers, where it is contacted counter currently with a solvent, either diethanolamine or sulfinol. Through a combination of chemical reaction and physical absorption, essentially all the hydrogen sulfide and... 

Shell Sulfinol Process Di-isopropanolamine Dissolved in Sulfolane Water... 

Hybrid solvents combine the best characteristics of both the chemical and physical solvents and are usually composed of a number of complementary solvents. Hybrid solvents have out-performed existing solvents and those developed for one application have been easily adapted for to others. However this is not always desirable and the tendency has been to develop tailor-made solvents using complementary solvents where the proportions are varied to suit the applications. Typical solvents are aMDEA, Purisol, Sulfinol and UCARSOL199. 

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