Sulfur pipe

Virtually complete destruction of NH3 is required otherwise ammonium sulfate forms in downstream equipment, blocking condenser tubes and sulfur piping. If the NH3 is oxidized to form appreciable amounts of nitrogen oxides, SO3 also forms and contributes to blocking as well as causing deactivation of Claus catalyst by sulfation. Therefore, the ammonia destruction step is best carried out within a narrow range of conditions(3). Any cyanide in the vapors is also destroyed under the conditions recommended. ... 

The sulfur-coating drum is about 4 ft in diameter and 6 ft long. The internals of the drum and the associated sulfur piping are completely different depending on whether the sulfur is atomized pneumatically or hydraulically. A schematic of sulfur-coating drum operation with the two types of sulfur spraying is shown in Figure 2. 

Lead is a bluish-white metal of bright luster, is very soft, highly malleable, ductile, and a poor conductor of electricity. It is very resistant to corrosion lead pipes bearing the insignia of Roman emperors, used as drains from the baths, are still in service. It is used in containers for corrosive liquids (such as sulfuric acid) and may be toughened by the addition of a small percentage of antimony or other metals. 

Sweet gas gas found in its natural state containing such small amounts of sulfur compounds that it can be used without purification with no deleterious effect on piping or equipment, and without the potential for health ha2ards. 

Seaweeds. The eadiest successful manufacture of iodine started in 1817 using certain varieties of seaweeds. The seaweed was dried, burned, and the ash lixiviated to obtain iodine and potassium and sodium salts. The first process used was known as the kelp, or native, process. The name kelp, initially apphed to the ash of the seaweed, has been extended to include the seaweed itself. About 20 t of fresh seaweed was used to produce 5 t of air-dried product containing a mean of 0.38 wt % iodine in the form of iodides of alkah metals. The ash obtained after burning the dried seaweed contains about 1.5 wt % iodine. Chemical separation of the iodine was performed by lixiviation of the burned kelp, followed by soHd-Hquid separation and water evaporation. After separating sodium and potassium chloride, and sodium carbonate, the mother Hquor containing iodine as iodide was treated with sulfuric acid and manganese dioxide to oxidize the iodide to free iodine, which was sublimed and condensed in earthenware pipes (57). 

Corrosion of reactors used for functionalization and ia pipes and valves along transferlines for sulfuric acid is a problem that results ia maintenance shutdowns. Sufficient agitation is needed to keep the resia beads fluidized duting sulfonation. As for copolymer kettles, transfer lines should be sufficiently large to allow reasonably rapid transfer of Hquids and resia slurries. 

Lead—copper alloys are also used as tank linings, tubes for acid mist precipitators, steam heating pipes for sulfuric acid or chromate plating baths, and flashing and sheeting (see Tanks AND pressure vessels). 

Sulfur and Chlorine Pipelines. Underground sulfur is melted by superheated water and then piped as Hquid to the surface with compressed air. At the surface, molten sulfur is transported by heated pipeline to a storage or shipping terminal. One such pipeline, located under 15 m of water in the Gulf of Mexico, is insulated and surrounded by steel casing to which are strapped two 130-mm dia pipelines that carry return water from the deposit. The superheated water is carried from shore to the deposit in a 63.5-mm dia pipe inside the pipeline that carries the molten sulfur (21). 

A typical setting of equipment for a sulfur well and the principles of mining are illustrated schematically in Eigure 1. Eirst, a hole is drilled to the bottom layer of the salt-dome cap rock with equipment of the same type as that used in oil fields. Three concentric pipes within a protective casing are placed in the hole. A 20-cm pipe inside an outer casing is sunk through the cap rock to the bottom of the sulfur deposit. Its lower end is perforated with small holes. Then, a 10-cm pipe is lowered to within a short distance of the bottom. Last and innermost is a 2.5-cm pipe, which is lowered more than halfway to the bottom of the well. 

Sulfur concretes are used in many specialty areas where Porfland cement concretes are not completely satisfactory. Because SC can be formulated to resist deterioration and failure from mineral acid and salt solutions, it is used for constmction of tanks, electrolytic cells, thickeners, industrial flooring, pipe, and others. In addition, SC is under investigation for many other prospective uses (58,59) (see Cement). 

Shipment and Storage. Sulfur dichloride, if kept dry, is noncorrosive at ambient temperatures, thus carbon steel and Hon can be used Hi the constmction of tanks, piping, and dmms. However, when water or humidity is present, materials resistant to hydrochloric acid must be used, eg, glass-lined pipe. Teflon, titanium, HasteUoy C, or possibly a chemically resistant, glass-reiaforced polyester. Threaded pipe joHits should be assembled with Teflon tape. Hoses should be constmcted with a Teflon inner lining with the outer tube constmcted of Neoprene or braided 316 stainless steel protected by an adequate thickness of Teflon. Sulfur dichloride should be stored away from heat and away from dHect rays of the sum. Toluene and sulfur dichloride react exothermically when catalyzed by Hon or ferric chloride. Safety precautions should be foUowed when such a mixture is present (165). 

In the gas cleaning sections of spent acid or metaUurgical sulfuric acid plants, the weak acid scmbbing circuit is typicaUy handled by plastic or glass fiber reinforced plastic (ERP) pipe. The contaminants in weak acid usuaUy vary too greatly to aUow use of an economical aUoy. 

Carbon steel is not normally a suitable piping material for concentrated sulfuric acid because of high corrosion rates in flowing acid. However, where temperatures and flow rates are low, heavy waU steel pipe is sometimes used for transferring product acid. 

The hydrocarbon gas feedstock and Hquid sulfur are separately preheated in an externally fired tubular heater. When the gas reaches 480—650°C, it joins the vaporized sulfur. A special venturi nozzle can be used for mixing the two streams (81). The mixed stream flows through a radiantly-heated pipe cod, where some reaction takes place, before entering an adiabatic catalytic reactor. In the adiabatic reactor, the reaction goes to over 90% completion at a temperature of 580—635°C and a pressure of approximately 250—500 kPa (2.5—5.0 atm). Heater tubes are constmcted from high alloy stainless steel and reportedly must be replaced every 2—3 years (79,82—84). Furnaces are generally fired with natural gas or refinery gas, and heat transfer to the tube coil occurs primarily by radiation with no direct contact of the flames on the tubes. Design of the furnace is critical to achieve uniform heat around the tubes to avoid rapid corrosion at "hot spots."... 

Polyvinyl chloride Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) pipe and tubing are available in sizes 12 in and smaller for PVC and 4 in and smaller for CPVC. They have excellent resistance at room temperature to salts, ammonium hydroxide, and sulfuric, nitric, acetic, and hydrochloric acid but may be damaged by ketones, aromatics, and some chlorinated hydrocarbons. 

Gray iron is resistant to concentrated acids (nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric) as well as to some alkahne and caustic solutions. Caustic fusion pots are usually made from gray cast iron with low silicon content cast-iron valves, pumps, and piping are common in sulfuric acid plants. 

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