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Field Applications HCP-25bSour Gas Treating-Amine Units

Amine Sweetening Unit
45SweetGasAcid Gas

SepraSol Liquid/Gas
Coalescer to Remove
Amine from Sweet GasContactor

1Regenerator

SourGasAccumulator

SepraSol Liquid/Gas
Coalescer to Remove
Amine from Acid Gas andProtect Sulfur Catalyst

6

SepraSol Liquid/Gas
Coalescer to Remove
Hydrocarbon fromSour Gas

SepraSol Liquid/Gas
Coalescer

Flash Tank

2Reboiler
CarbonBed

Pall Nexis T or Coreless Profile® Filters(rated at 10 micron) to remove solidsfrom circulating amine

3
Pall Nexis T or Coreless Profile
Filters (rated at 10 micron)to remove carbon
fines circulating amine

ProblemCommon problems in an amine unit are foaming and fouling.
Foaming in the contactor can result in huge amine losses,
reduced operating capacity, and off-spec product. Amine
carried over into the sweet gas can result in fouling ofdownstream equipment including compressors and burners.
Foaming is initiated when condensable hydrocarbons enter
the contactor with the feed gas and mix with the circulating
amine causing a reduction in surface tension.
Fouling can result in reboiler tube failure, tray plugging
in both the contactor and the regenerator, exchanger
failures and frequent pump seal replacements. The typicalcontaminant is iron sulfide which is formed in the circulating
amine system. Iron sulfide particulates tend to be less than
10 micron in size.
Pall Solution
Pall SepraSol™ Liquid/Gas coalescers are installed in gas
feed line upstream of the amine contactor and remove
virtually all of the entrained liquids in the feed gas. Thiseliminates the problem of hydrocarbons mixing with theamine, minimizing any problems with foaming.

Amine
Make-upPall Nexis® T filters or Coreless Profile® filters arerecommended upstream of the carbon bed to remove ironsulfide particulates from the circulation amine. Since theamine is a circulating system, the solids concentration will
gradually increase unless removed by a filter. The highsolids result in equipment fouling and stabilize foaming. The
circulating amine should contain less than 1 ppm by weightof suspended solids and should be filtered to an efficiencyof 10 micron (µm) absolute. This circulating amine system
often requires that coarser filters be installed at first to clean
the system of solids which have been accumulating over a
period of time. Progressively finer filters are introduced tothe system until a filter efficiency of 10 µm absolute isobtained. Pall Nexis T or Coreless filters are also installed
downstream of the carbon bed to remove any carbon fines
in the system.
In units where amine losses are significant due to operating
at higher than design capacities, Pall’s SepraSol Liquid/Gas coalescers are installed downstream of the contactor orregenerator overheads to recover amine. Pall offers acoalescer that is completely compatible in amine solutions.

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Filter Recommendations
FilterLocation

Recommended
Pall Assembly

Purpose of Filtration

Benefits of Filtration

1

Pall SepraSol™ Liquid/Gas
coalescer, CC3LG7A

Removes hydrocarbon,
water and other liquids andsolids from sour gas feed

Reduces foaming problems
Increases absorption efficiency
Increases carbon bed efficiency

2Pall Nexis® T cartridge,
10 µm, Coreless Profile® - 10 µmfilters

Removes scale, solidparticles (e.g. iron sulfide)

Reduces foaming problems
Prevents carbon bed plugging
Prevents exchanger andreboiler fouling

3

Pall Nexis T or Coreless Profile
cartridges, 10 µm

Removes carbon bed fines

Reduces foaming problems
Prevents exchanger andreboiler fouling

4

Pall SepraSol Liquid/Gas
coalescer, CC3LGB7H13
This product was specificallydesigned for amine andammonia systems

Removes water, amine, andliquid hydrocarbon

Protects downstream equipment
Decreases maintenance costs
and downtime at sulfur
recovery unit

5

Pall SepraSol Liquid/Gas
coalescer, CC3LGB7H13

Removes carried over amine

Protects downstream equipment
and processes

6Pall SepraSol Liquid/Gas
coalescer, CC3LG7A

Removes carried over amine,water, and heavy hydrocarbons

Provides quality fuel gas
Protects downstream equipment

Locations
Gas processing plants
Petroleum refineries
Ammonia plants
Ethylene plants
Propylene plants

References
GAS 4301A –Texas Gas Plant

GAS 4302B –Analysis of Foaming MechanismGAS 4305 –Louisiana Gas Plant

GAS 4307A –Predicting Equilibrium Contamination
Levels for Variable Slipstream Filtration

GAS 4100C –Guide to Gas Filter & Housings

PR-900 –Separations Technology in Petroleum
Refining

New York - USA
888.873.7255 toll free in the USA
516.484.5400 phone+01 516 484 0364 fax
fuelsandchemicals@pall.com email

Visit us on the Web at www.pall.com
Portsmouth - Europe
023 9230 3303 phone
023 9230 2509 fax
fuelsandchemicals@pall.com email

Pall Corporation has offices and plants throughout the world in locations including:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand,Norway, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Venezuela. Distributors are located inall major industrial areas of the world.
© Copyright 2005, Pall Corporation. Pall,, Nexis, Profile and Seprasol™ are trademarks of PallCorporation. ® Indicates a Pall trademark registered in the USA.
is aservice mark of Pall Corporation.