The removal of hydrogen sulfide from gas streams using an aqueous metal sulfate absorbent Ter Maat, H.; Hogendoorn, J. A.; Versteeg, Geert Link to publication in University of Groningen/UMCG research database Citation for published version (APA): Ter Maat, H., Hogendoorn, J. A., & Versteeg, G. F. (2005). The removal of hydrogen sulfide from gas streams using an aqueous metal sulfate absorbent: Part I. the absorption of hydrogen sulfide in metal sulfate solutions. Separation and Purification Technology, 43(3), 183-197. DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2004.10.013 Copyright Other than for strictly personal use, it is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons).Take-down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact us providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim.Downloaded from the University of Groningen/UMCG research database (Pure): http://www.rug.nl/research/portal. For technical reasons the number of authors shown on this cover page is limited to 10 maximum.
AbstractThe desulfurization of gas streams using aqueous iron(II)sulfate (Fe(II)SO 4 ), zinc sulfate (ZnSO 4 ) and copper sulfate (CuSO 4 ) solutions as washing liquor is studied theoretically and experimentally. The desulfurization is accomplished by a precipitation reaction that occurs when sulfide ions and metal ions are brought into contact with each other. A thermodynamic study has been used to determine a theoretical operating window, with respect to the pH of the scrubbing solution, in which the metal sulfate solution can react with hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), but not with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the gas or hydroxide ions from the scrubbing solution. When the absorption is carried out in this window the proposed process should be capable of removing H 2 S from the gas stream without uptake of CO 2 or the formation of metal hydroxides. The pH operating window increases in the order of iron, zinc to copper. Experimental verification showed that the proposed process indeed efficiently removes H 2 S when an aqueous Fe(II)SO 4 , ZnSO 4 or CuSO 4 solution is used as absorbent. However, for an efficient desulfurization the lower pH of the experimental pH operating window using the Fe(II)SO 4 or ZnSO 4 solution was higher than indicated by thermodynamics. The reason for this must probably be attributed to a reduced precipitation rate at decreasing pH. When a CuSO 4 solution is used as washing liquor the solution can efficiently remove H 2 S over the entire pH range studied (as low as pH = 1.4). In this case only the upper pH boundary of the operating window (that indicates the possible formation of copper hydroxide or copper carbonates) seems to be a relevant limit in practice. The laboratory experiments indicate that the absorption of H 2 S in a CuSO 4 solution, at the experimental conditions tested, is a gas phase ...