Influence of hydrocarbons on hydrogen chloride removal from refinery off-gas by zeolite NaY derived from rice husks

Authors

• Christina May C. Tolentino, University of the Philippines Diliman
• Mark Daniel G. de Luna, University of the Philippines Diliman
• Cybelle Morales Futalan, Mapua University
• Angelo Earvin Sy Choi
• Ferdinand G. Manegdeg, University of the Philippines Diliman
• Nurak Grisdanurak, Thammasat University

College

Gokongwei College of Engineering

Department/Unit

Chemical Engineering

Document Type

Article

Source Title

Science of the Total Environment

Volume

728

First Page

138782

Publication Date

2020

Abstract

The removal of gaseous hydrochloric acid (HCl) in refineries and petrochemical plants is essential to prevent potential catalyst poisoning, equipment corrosion, and several associated public health and environmental hazards when the acid contaminates the hydrogen–hydrocarbon feedstock. In the present work, the effect of alkanes, alkenes, and liquid aromatic hydrocarbons on the removal of HCl from refinery off-gas using zeolite NaY was evaluated. Zeolite NaY was synthesized from rice husks via a hydrothermal route. Adsorbent characterization analyses such as XRD, SEM-EDS, FT-IR, BET, and particle size distribution were employed. Fixed-bed experiments were operated under feed conditions of 600 ppm HCl and a gas hourly space velocity of 640 mL/h·cm3 . Gaseous HCl was combined with H2, H2-alkanes, and H2-alkenes to simulate the main components of refinery-off gas. Experimental breakthrough curves were used to determine the adsorption capacities of zeolite NaY pellets at breakthrough and saturation. HCl removal by fresh zeolite NaY was inhibited by light alkanes but improved in the presence of alkenes. The adsorption capacity at breakthrough for fresh zeolite with combined hydrogen and light alkenes was measured at 0.1507 g/g. In the presence of aromatics, significant reduction in adsorption capacities to 0.1247, 0.1379, and 0.1437 g/g were obtained for adsorbents subjected to H2, H2-alkanes, and H2-alkenes, respectively. Zeolite NaY consistently showed higher performance for HCl removal in the presence of H2 feed mixed with light hydrocarbons compared with a commercial adsorbent.

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Recommended Citation

Tolentino, C. C., de Luna, M. G., Futalan, C. M., Choi, A. S., Manegdeg, F. G., & Grisdanurak, N. (2020). Influence of hydrocarbons on hydrogen chloride removal from refinery off-gas by zeolite NaY derived from rice husks. Science of the Total Environment, 728, 138782. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/15343

Keywords

Hydrochloric acid; Zeolites—Absorption and adsorption

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