Making ZnO Adsorption More Affordable to Remove H₂S by Changing the Catalysts Regeneration Method

Abstract

Two common methods to remove H₂S from natural gas are amine treating and ZnO catalysts adsorption. The former is believed to be more affordable than the latter, because in ZnO method the catalysts regenerated by air combustion method cannot attain a reasonable activity (at most 35%). On account of it, so many catalysts are required to do a definite process that it leads to an increase in costs. But if a novel technique called steam washing method is implemented to regenerate spent ZnO catalysts, the commercial activity of them can nearly be recovered by 97%, such that it leads to a remarkable decrease in costs of treating. So if steam washing rather than air combustion regeneration is taken into account, ZnO catalysts adsorption might be more affordable than amine treating.

Keywords:

• amine treating
• hydrogen sulfide
• more affordable
• regeneration
• zinc oxide