Efficient and cost-effective amine

purification process
Venkata Srinu Gollapalli, Saptarshi Paul, Balaji Lakavath and V Kamesh Jayanti
Engineers India Limited

I
n refineries and gas process- Lean amine from Purified amine
lean amine cooler Filter Adsorber to tank/ATU
ing complexes, H₂S and CO₂
present in the sour gases
are removed using an aque-
Caustic solution DM water from 2nd wash water/caustic
ous solution of alkanolamine. from tank/header tank/header to ETP
Different types of amines, such
as mono-ethanolamine (MEA), Figure 1 Schematic flow scheme of the amine purification process
di-ethanolamine (DEA), and
methyl di-ethanolamine (MDEA), are used in an amine- The resin bed is then regenerated, ready for reuse in the
based gas sweetening plant. Strong acid anions like for- next cycle.
mates, acetates, thiocyanates, and chlorides can react with The ion exchange-based process follows a few main
amine molecules to form heat stable salts (HSS). These steps in sequence. They are activation of resin by caustic
salts are formed from thermal and chemical degradation of solution, water wash to remove traces of caustic, amine cir-
amine molecules. High temperature in the amine regenera- culation for HSS adsorption on resin bed (adsorption cycle),
tion reboiler and the reaction of amine with COS and/or O₂ water wash to remove traces of amine, and regeneration
results in the formation of HSS. of resin bed with a caustic solution (regeneration cycle). A
The presence of HSS in an amine circulation loop can brief process schematic diagram is illustrated in Figure 1.
result in corrosion, leading to stress corrosion cracking, high
maintenance cost, frequent filter replacement, foaming, Salient Features of Amine Purification Process
plugging in the amine absorption column, decrease in amine The process:
absorption efficiency, heat exchanger and reboiler tube • Ensures significant removal of HSS (i.e. <0.5 wt% in
fouling, as well as overall unit malfunctioning. Reduction of treated amine), thereby preserving amine quality and
HSS in alkanolamine solution ensures stable and uniform reducing make-up amine expenditures
operation of amine-treating plants. • Uses dedicated resin beds, which are highly efficient and
It is essential to remove HSS from amine for smooth and easily regenerable
trouble-free operation. Different processes are used in the • Uses 5-10 wt% caustic solution and demineralised water
removal of HSS from alkanolamine solutions. Each process for resin bed regeneration, which are easily available in the
has its merits and demerits. The distillation process is used refinery. No new chemicals are needed
where HSS are concentrated by leaving the amine in the • Is designed for batch operation of adsorption/regeneration;
vapour phase. This process is not energy efficient, and a hence, providing continuous amine purification at all times
vacuum system is adopted to reduce the temperature in • Operates at ambient temperatures. No heating/cooling
order to avoid thermal degradation of the alkanolamine. utilities are required
Another process is electrodialysis, which uses an ion-se- Implementation of this process needs minimum invest-
lective membrane to separate HSS by maintaining poten- ment and minimum shutdown period. This indigenous
tial differences across the membranes. The efficiency of the technology, ‘Ion exchange resin process for removal of heat
process depends on the membranes used, but the cost of stable salts (HSS) from alkanolamine solution’, has been
the electrodialysis system is relatively high. Based on a lit- patented (Indian Patent No: 356304). High HSS removal
erature survey and patent search, the ion exchange process efficiency, easy regeneration, and low Capex and Opex are
is one of the most economical processes to remove HSS some of the novel benefits of the process. Currently, this
from amine solution. technology is under commercialisation at an Indian refinery.
EIL R&D has developed an ion exchange-based amine
purification process utilising a proprietary resin. The pro- LINKS
cess takes a slip stream (~10% of lean amine flow to the
gas sweetening plant) and passes it through a packed bed
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