CARBON BED CHANGE-OUT PROCEDURE

STEP 1 - SHUTTING DOWN THE CARBON BED

1. Shut off flow of the process solution to the carbon bed. Rinse the process solution off the
carbon bed with 2 bed volumes of make up water, discharging into the process stream.
This saves valuable solution and does not affect the process solution significantly. If the
process solution can not be discharged into the process stream, a pop tank can be used.
2. Vent the carbon bed housing to remove trapped gas. Carbon beds operating in the rich
stream may contain dangerous levels of H2S. Proper Personnel Safety Equipment will be
required when opening filter hatches and vents.
3. Open the bed hatch and remove the spent carbon down to the support media or screen.
4. Inspect the carbon bed Support Media and Screen for any damage. Replace any
support media which may have been lost or damaged.

STEP 2 - FILLING THE BED WITH CARBON

1. Fill the carbon bed housing about 1/3 full of clean water that is deionized or is low in
soluble salts.
2. Carefully fill the carbon bed housing with carbon until it is filled, allowing a minimum of
12" headspace.
3. Allow the carbon to soak at least 10 hours to displace any air that is trapped in the
carbon pores. Ensure the bed is covered with water at all times.

STEP 3 - BACKWASHING TO REMOVE CARBON FINES

1. Slowly start the backwashing with clean water in the up-flow mode.
2. Gradually increase the flow to expand the carbon bed. Monitor the effluent stream to
make sure that no granular particles of carbon are escaping. Minimum flow rates for
backwashing carbon beds are 1 gallon per minute per square foot.
3. Backwash until the effluent stream is clear and no carbon fines are visible. The
backwash can normally be accomplished in about 1 - 1 ½ hours at the recommended
rate. In backwashing, the flow rate should be carefully controlled. This is so that the bed
does not expand to the point where excessive channelling occurs.

Amine Experts Inc.

Suite 102, 12 Manning Close N.E., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2E 7N6
Tel: 1(403) 215-8400 Fax: 1(403) 215-8419
www.AmineExperts.com
STEP 4 - BRINGING THE CARBON BED BACK ON LINE

1. Once the carbon bed has been back-flushed sufficiently, the water in the filter can be
displaced back into the process stream with the process solution.
2. The carbon filter should be brought back on line by slowly cracking open the feed line
and venting out the air displaced by the process solution. Once the carbon bed is full of
process solution, the discharge line should be opened and the vent line closed. The
carbon bed is now ready for normal operation.

Amine Experts Inc.

Suite 102, 12 Manning Close N.E., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2E 7N6
Tel: 1(403) 215-8400 Fax: 1(403) 215-8419
www.AmineExperts.com