Section: CRUSU Features

ASRL has conducted studies on ammonia destruction in the sulphur recovery unit (SRU) for over a decade1-5 . Other studies at ASRL have investigated mechanisms for ammonium salt formation and deposition downstream in the Claus plant, as well as the potential sources of ammonia (NH3 )in a gas plant7 . A less understood subject is addressing how much residual NH3 is tolerable or at what temperature will residual NH3 cause ammonium salt deposition. In this study, existing knowledge on thermal stability of ammonium salts and new measurements have been used to identify the gaseous components required for deposition, through reversible vapour pressure expressions.

As well as Morocco, Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia all have major phosphate industries, and all of these countries have plans to expand their capability to extract and process phosphates, though Algeria and Tunisia remain hampered by political instability.

Dealing with sulphur dust is an operational challenge for sulphur forming plants and sulphur storage and handling facilities.

Corrosion is one of the most critical aspects regarding sulphuric acid plant lifespan. One important cause of corrosion in sulphuric acid plants is acid condensation from the process gas due to inadequate drying. E. Almeida, B. Ferraro, N. Clark, V. Machida and V. Sturm of Clark Solutions discuss this problem and how it can be avoided with proper tower and internals design.

John M. Bryant , President and CEO of The Sulphur Institute, looks at how the sulphur supply chain has reacted to the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic over the past 18 months, and the key principles of a successful sulphur supply chain.

Comprimo has recently launched two new solutions to make the most of existing data and to improve customer’s operations and customer knowhow: Comprimo Insight – an intelligent sulphur plant dashboard, and Comprimo Immerse – a dynamic sulphur plant simulator. In this article, Comprimo goes into the details of how Comprimo Insight and Comprimo Immerse are being implemented for its customers.

Sulphur’s annual survey of recent and planned construction projects in the sulphuric acid industry includes several large-scale acid plants both for phosphate processing and to capture sulphur dioxide from smelters.

With demand for conventional fuels projected to peak and fall over the next decade, some refiners are looking to petrochemical production as a way of diversifying their product slate.

A. Goudarzi of CECO Industrial Solutions discusses the science behind NOx content and how it impacts sulphuric acid producers. In a recent project in Korea, TWIN-PAK® candle filter technology was successfully used to reduce NOx emissions in metallurgical oleum tower production. After installation of the candle filter mist eliminators the plant was compliant with environmental regulations enabling the producer to operate the plant without penalties or shutdowns.

The continuing spread of alkylation technology and the preference for the sulphuric acid route are leading to increased demand for acid in refineries.