UOP Selexol TechnologyTM

for Acid Gas Removal

© 2009 UOP LLC. All rights reserved. UOP 5241F-01

Main Points of Presentation

• Overview of the Selexol process

• Natural gas applications
• Syngas applications
• Selexol operation – Coffeyville Resources
• UOP Experience and Technical Services
• Summary

UOP 5241F-02
What is the Selexol Process?
• Absorption/regeneration process for selective
removal of H2S, COS, RSH & CO2
- Uses a physical solvent
- Loading directly proportional to partial pressure
- Uses a typical solvent-extraction flow-scheme

• Product Quality
- Can be essentially sulfur free
- Project specific CO2 capture and quality
- Project specific acid gas H2S concentration

UOP 5241F-03
Solvent Loading Comparison

High acid
gas partial
Physical pressures in
syngas are
Solvent Loading

ideal for
physical
Chemical solvent
application

Partial Pressure

UOP 5241F-07
Selexol Process Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s Don'ts
 Selective H2S removal  Rich HC Steams
 Total Sulfur removal  Low Acid Gas Partial
(COS, CS2, RSH) Pressures
 CO2 removal / capture
 Natural Gas Applications
 Synthesis Gas
Purification
 Acid gas removal with
simultaneous
dehydration
 Landfill gas treating
UOP 4375A-26
Selexol Solvent Characteristics
• Relative Selectivity
Methane Hydrogen
- H 2S ~ 135 ~ 680
- CH3SH ~ 340 ~1700
- CO2 ~9 ~45
- CO ~0.43 ~2.2
- COS ~35 ~175

• High Selectivity of H2S over CO2 allows:

- Selective absorption of H2S in the Absorber
- Enhanced recovery of CO2 in flash drum
- Minimizes CO2 in acid gas
- Lowers SRU costs
- Higher power production
• Good Selectivity for CO2 over H2
- Supports separate CO2 production
- Minimizes downstream H2 purification UOP 5241F-04
Selexol Solvent Characteristics

• High Selectivity of H2S over CO2 allows:

- Selective absorption of H2S in the Absorber
- Enhanced recovery of CO2 in flash drum
- Minimizes CO2 in acid gas,
- Lowers SRU costs
- Higher power production

• Good Selectivity for CO2 over H2

- Supports separate CO2 production
- Minimizes downstream H2 purification

UOP 5241F-05
Additional Selexol Process Benefits

• Low corrosion rates

- No formation of heat-stable salts

• Minimal process effluents

- Reclaiming and/or purging of solvent not required

• Protection of downstream equipment

- Metal Carbonyls are captured by Selexol

UOP 5241F-06
Main Points of Presentation

• Overview of the Selexol process

• Natural gas applications
• Syngas applications
• Selexol operation – Coffeyville Resources
• UOP Experience and Technical Services
• Summary

UOP 5241F-08
Natural Gas Feed Composition

Natural Gas Composition Ranges (volume %)

Methane ~20 to 99
Ethane ~0 to 10
Propane ~0 to 6
Butane ~0 to 3
Pentane ~0 to 3
C6 to C40+ ~0 to 1
Carbon dioxide ppm to >80%
Total Sulfur ppm to >20%
Water saturated
Mercury ppb

New gas discoveries typically contain more CO2 & H2S

than existing sources

UOP 5241F-09
Selexol Process
for Natural Gas Applications

• More effective at acid gas partial pressures above

50 psi in the feed
• Particularly effective at high acid gas partial
pressure conditions and for bulk removal
• Selective removal of H2S if desired
• The heavy hydrocarbon(C4+) concentration should
be low, preferably limited to 1 vol%.

UOP 5241F-10
Selexol Flowscheme
Bulk Acid Gas Removal

Lean Solution
Treated Filter
Gas

Absorber

Feed
Gas

CO2

UOP 5241F-11
Selexol Advantages in NG Applications

• Little or no energy required for solvent regeneration

• Inert gas can be used for solvent stripping if
required
• Selexol treating also aids in dew point reduction
• Can be used with or without refrigeration

UOP 5241F-12
Main Points of Presentation

• Overview of the Selexol process

• Natural gas applications
• Syngas applications
• Selexol operation – Coffeyville Resources
• UOP Experience and Technical Services
• Summary

UOP 5241F-13
Gasification Project Objectives

Past Present Future

Power   
Hydrogen   
Other
Products  
CO2 Capture 

UOP 5241F-14
Syngas Applications

Typical Flow-schemes
 Sulfur removal only
– Typically for power applications where sulfur
removal to 10 to 20 ppmv
– One solvent absorber with solvent regeneration

 Sulfur removal with separate CO2 removal and capture

– Used for hydrogen, chemical and coal to liquids
applications
– Independent absorbers with common solvent
regeneration

UOP 5241F-15
 Selexol Flowscheme for Sulfur Removal

Acid
H2S Gas
Treated Lean Solution Stripper
Gas Filter Reflux
Accumulator

Makeup
H2S Water
Absorber Reflux
Pump
H2S Export
Feed Concentrator Water
Gas

Packinox Stripper
Exchanger Reboiler

UOP 5241F-16
 Selexol Flowscheme
for Sulfur Removal and CO2 Capture
Treated
Gas

CO2
Absorber

H2S Acid
CO2
Stripper Gas
Lean
Solution Reflux
Filter Accumulator

Makeup
Sulfur Water
Absorber Reflux
H2S
Concentrator Pump Export
Feed Water
Gas
Stripper
Packinox Reboiler
Exchanger

UOP 5241F-17
 Requirements for Syngas Applications

Processing Requirements: Addressed by Selexol?

• Efficient sulfur recovery
• Facilitate production of
co-products
• High reliability
• CO2 capture with H2
to gas turbine
• Improved sulfur block
economics
 High overall sulfur
recovery (> 99.75%)
 Bulk CO2 removal if
necessary
 No Metal Carbonyls or
Solvent Issues
 High CO2 selectivity with
H2 in Syngas applications
 Reduces overall costs by
>4%

Selexol technology meets all requirements !

UOP 5241F-18
Main Points of Presentation

• Overview of the Selexol process

• Natural gas applications
• Syngas applications
• Selexol operation – Coffeyville Resources
• UOP Experience and Technical Services
• Summary

UOP 5241F-19
 Coffeyville Resources
Coffeyville, Kansas, USA
Gasification Ammonia Complex

UOP 5241F-20
Coffeyville Resources Ammonia
Fertilizer Complex

Feedstock: 45 MT/H petroleum coke

EPC Contractor: Black & Veatch Pritchard
Commercial Operation: July 2000

Process Licensors
Gasification: ChevronTexaco
Gas Purification Block:
- Acid Gas Removal: Selexol
- H2 Purification: Polybed PSA
Sulfur: Black & Veatch Pritchard
Air Separation: BOC
Ammonia / UAN: Ammonia Casale / Weatherly

UOP 5241F-21
Coffeyville Resources Ammonia
Fertilizer Complex

• Complex converts petroleum coke to syngas

for production of ammonia (21 T/H) and urea
ammonium nitrate solution (62 T/H) with sulfur
byproduct.
• Uses UOP Gas Purification Block
- Removal of acid gases in a 2-stage Selexol unit with
refrigerated solvent
- H2S and CO2 are captured separately with hydrogen
product sent to the ammonia synthesis plant and CO2
sent to the UAN plant
- Final H2 purification in Polybed PSA unit

UOP 5241F-22
Coffeyville Block Flow Diagram

Air
NH3
Product
N2 Ammonia
Air Separation UAN
Synthesis UAN Plant
Unit
Product
O2 High Purity Hydrogen
Purified CO2
Raw H2
Polybed CO2 CO2 Vent
PSA Purification
Raw
Tail Gas CO2

Quench Syngas CO Shift &

Selexol
Gasification Scrubbing Gas Cooling 2-Stage
Unit
Acid
Gas
Petroleum Coke
Claus Plant

UOP Technologies
UOP 5241F-23
Coffeyville Design Basis

Feed Stream Specifications

Feed Flowrate 169,000 Nm3/hr (151 MM SCFD)
Pressure 36.9 bar-a (535 psia)
Temperature 38 ºC (100 ºF)

Component Mole %
H2 > 56
CO ~ 1.2
CO2 ~ 41
H2S and COS ~ 0.6
CH4, Ar, & N2 ~ 1
H2O Saturated

UOP 5241F-24
Coffeyville Design Basis

Stream Specifications Product

Raw H2 Product
Flowrate 101,900 Nm3/hr (90 MM SCFD)
Product Purity 93 mole % H2 (minimum)

Raw CO2 Product

Flowrate 11,900 Nm3/hr (10.6 MM SCFD)
Product Purity 95 mole % CO2 (minimum)

CO2 Removed ~ 94 %
Acid Gas
Product Purity 44 mole % H2S (minimum)

UOP 5241F-25
Coffeyville Actual Operations

Operating Results
• Raw H2 to PSA Design Actual
DesignActual
- H2, % 93 > 93
- CO2, % NA <5
- H2S, ppm NA <1
- COS, ppm NA <1

• Raw CO2 to UAN

- CO2, % 95 > 95
- H2S, ppm NA <1
- COS, ppm NA < 10

Units met all process requirements !

UOP 5241F-26
Main Points of Presentation

• Overview of the Selexol process

• Natural gas applications
• Syngas applications
• Selexol operation – Coffeyville Resources
• UOP Experience and Technical Services
• Summary

UOP 5241F-27
Selexol Process
Commercial Experience
• Over 60+ operating units
- Both Natural Gas and Gasification applications
• 4 Recent Gasification Applications in Operation
- Sarlux – Italy – IGCC Power plus H2
- API – Italy – IGCC Power
- Coffeyville Resources - USA -NH3/UAN
- OptiCanada – Oil Sands Canada – H2 plus fuel
• Multiple large units in engineering phase
- Residue gasification for H2 production, Oil Sands Canada
- Other gasification projects 9 poly Generation projects)
 Power
 NH3
 Coal to liquids
 Methanol
 SNG
UOP 5241F-28
Technical Service
Guaranteed Performance
Project Design

Training & Start-up

On-going Optimization & Innovation

Before During After

 Training  Unit Checkout  Continuing Services
 HAZOP  On-Site Training  Data Link Access
 Test Run to Process Experts
– Remote Process
Monitoring
– Analytical Support
 Symposia
 Process Training
 Turnaround Service
 Inspection
UOP 5241F-29
Selexol Process-Summary

• The Selexol process is a proven licensed technology

• Selexol technology has unique capabilities for acid gas
removal applications
• Relative selectivity allows for high quality project
specific product streams
• Effective removal of all sulfur species
• Simultaneous dehydration of feed streams
• Can be an economically attractive option for Natural Gas
applications
• UOP can assist you in optimizing and maximizing the
value of your project

UOP 5241F-30
Selexol Process Summary

• The Selexol process is a proven licensed

technology
• Selexol technology has unique capabilities for
acid gas removal applications
• Relative selectivity allows for high quality
project specific product streams
• Effective removal of all sulfur species
• Simultaneous dehydration of feed streams
• Can be an economically attractive option for
Natural Gas applications
• UOP can assist you in optimizing and
maximizing the value of your project

UOP 5241B-37
UOP 5241F-31