Studies on the Degradation of Desiccants in Temperature Swing Adsorption Processes and the Adsorptive Separation of Sulfur Compounds from Industrial Fluids

Jacobs, John Henry

Studies on the Degradation of Desiccants in Temperature Swing Adsorption Processes and the Adsorptive Separation of Sulfur Compounds from Industrial Fluids

dc.contributor.advisor	Marriott, Robert A.
dc.contributor.author	Jacobs, John Henry
dc.contributor.committeemember	Shimizu, George Kisa Hayashi
dc.contributor.committeemember	Thurbide, Kevin B.
dc.contributor.committeemember	Dolgos, Michelle Renee
dc.contributor.committeemember	Eic, Mladen
dc.date	2023-06
dc.date.accessioned	2023-04-14T19:17:51Z
dc.date.available	2023-04-14T19:17:51Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04-13
dc.description.abstract	Adsorptive technologies are essential to the natural gas industry and environmental protection. In natural gas systems, adsorbents remove water, carbon dioxide (CO2), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from natural gas through dehydration and sweetening processes. Adsorptive separation also can remove CO2 and sulfur dioxide (SO2) from industrial flue gases. The dehydration of natural gas by adsorption is a standard technology used worldwide. For natural gas wells in remote locations or offshore, adsorptive dehydration is the technology of choice. When the natural gas is to be liquified, dehydration technologies, such as glycol absorption, cannot reduce the water concentrations sufficiently, and adsorptive dehydration must be used. The dehydration units used industrially must operate continuously for several years. The study on desiccant degradation is an essential addition to the field. Nevertheless, little research is available investigating what factors influence desiccant degradation. The most common technology for removing H2S and CO2 from industrial fluids is aqueous alkanolamine absorption. This process is often expensive as the regeneration is energy intensive. Thus, alternative technologies are sought after, such as adsorbents. One of the most promising adsorbents is activated carbon for removing CO2, H2S, and SO2. A custom-built rapid cycling adsorption apparatus was used to test zeolites 4A and 13X, and three different pore-size silica gels to elucidate what factors of industrial dehydration systems would promote or mitigate desiccant degradation. Pure component H2O, methane (CH4), CO2, and H2S adsorption were measured on silica gels and activated carbon. The results from the silica gel adsorption demonstrated that the adsorption of H2O and H2S increased when the concentration of surface silanol groups increased. The adsorption of multi component CH4/CO2/H2S, N2/CO2/SO2, and N2/CO2/SO2/H2O mixtures on activated carbons derived from petroleum coke were collected. It was concluded that the selectivity of H2S/CH4 increased when the surface area decreased, and the H2S/CO2 selectivity increased with the oxygen fraction of the activated carbons. The SO2 adsorption experiments demonstrated a high affinity for SO2 on all of the tested carbons, and the adsorption capacity did not change after wet SO2 exposure for any of the carbons.
dc.identifier.citation	Jacobs, J. H. (2023). Studies on the degradation of desiccants in temperature swing adsorption processes and the adsorptive separation of sulfur compounds from industrial fluids (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/116069
dc.identifier.uri	https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/dspace/40915
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	Adsorption
dc.subject	Zeolites
dc.subject	Silica gel
dc.subject	Activated carbon
dc.subject	Sour gas
dc.subject.classification	Chemistry--Physical
dc.title	Studies on the Degradation of Desiccants in Temperature Swing Adsorption Processes and the Adsorptive Separation of Sulfur Compounds from Industrial Fluids
dc.type	doctoral thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Chemistry
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.