Selective Hydrogen Sulphide Removal from Acid Gas by Alkali Chemisorption in a Jet Reactor

Abstract

Natural gas is a primary energy source that contains a number of light paraffins. It also contains several undesirable components, such as water, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, etc. In our study, a selective hydrogen sulphide removal process was achieved by alkali chemisorption in a custom-designed jet reactor. Several model gas compositions (CO2-H2S-N2) were evaluated to find parameters that enable H2S absorption instead of CO2. The negative effect of the presence of CO2 in the raw gas on the efficiency of H2S removal was observed. The beneficial effect of the low residence time (less than 1 s) on the efficiency of H2S removal was recognized. Optimal operational parameters were defined to reach at least a 50% efficiency of H2S removal and minimal alkali consumption.