Sulfur Recovery Units (SRU)

1. Proses Claus
Proses Claus merupakan proses kimia katalitik yang dimanfaatkan untuk mengkonversi
gas hydrogen sulfide (H
2
S) menjadi elemental sulfur (S).Proses ini sering disebut sebagai
Sulfur Recovery Unit (SRU) dan sangat sering digunakan untuk menghasilkan sulfur dari
hydrogen sulfide yang terdapat pada gas alam mentah dan sour gas yang mengandung
hydrogen sulfide yang berasal dari pengilangan minyak bumi, minyak mentah dan
fasilitas industry lainnya.
[1]


Deskripsi proses :
[2]
The basic Claus unit comprises a thermal stage and two stage or three catalyst stages.
Typical sulfur recoveries efficiencies are in the range 95-98% depending upon the feed
gas composition and plant configuration.
The basic chemical reactions occurring in a Claus process are represented by the
following reactions :

Some of the H
2
S in the feed gas is thermally converted to SO
2
in the reaction furnace of
the hermal stage according to reaction (1). The remaining H
2
S is then reacted with the
thermally produced SO
2
to form elemental sulphur in the thermal stage and the
subsequent catalytic stages according to reaction (2). Claus reaction (2) is
thermodynamically limited and has a relatively low equilibrium constant for reaction (2)
over the catalytic operation region.
As the feed acid gas normally contains other compounds, which could include carbon
dioxid, hydrocarbons, mercaptants and ammonia, the actual chemistry in the furnace is
very complex. The latest analysis of this has been presented by Borsboom and Clark.

Simplified Process Description
The hot combustion products from the furnace at 100-1300
o
C enter the waste heat
boiler and are partially cooled by generating steam. Any steam level from 3 to 45 bar
g can be generated
The combustion products are further cooled in the sulphur condenser, usually by
generating LP steam at 3-5 bar g. This cools the gas enough to condense the sulphur
formed in the furnace, which is then separated from the gas and drained to a
collection pit.
In order to avoid sulphur condensing in the downstream catalyst bed, the gas leaving
the sulphur condenser must be heated before entering the reactor.
The heated stream enters the first reactor, containing a bed of sulphur conversion
catalyst. About 70% of the remaining H
2
S and SO
2
in the gas will react to form
sulphur, which leaves the reactor with the gas as sulphur vapour.
The hot gas leaving the first reactor is cooled in the second sulphur condenser, where
LP steam is again produced and the sulphur formed in the reactor is condensed
A further one or two more heating, reaction, and condensing stages follow to react
most of the remaining H
2
S and SO
2

The sulphur plant tail gas is routed either to a Tail Gas treatment Unit for further
processing, or to a Thermal Oxidiser to incinerate all the sulphur compounds in the
tail gas to SO
2
before dispersing the effluent to the atmosphere.


2. Proses LO-CAT
Proses LO-CAT bersifat aqueous (basah), bertemparatur rendah yang menggunakan
regenerasi katalis besi. Katalis besi digunakan untuk mengkonversi hydrogen sulfide
menjadi unsur yang tidak berbahaya, sulfur. Proses ini tidak menggunakan bahan kimia
beracun dan tidak menghasilkan produk sampingan berupa limbah berbahaya. Katalis
yang tersedia akan terus mengalami regenerasi dalam proses, sehingga penggunaan
katalis lebih sedikit dan penghematan juga dilakukan.
[1]

Deskripsi proses :
[1]

Intensitas proses adalah mengoksidasi ion-ion hydrosulfide (HS
-
) menjadi unsur sulfur
dengan mereduksi ion ferik (Fe
3+
) menjadi ion ferrous (Fe
2+
) dan tahapan reoksidasi ion
ferrous menjadi ferik melalui kontak dengan udara. Proses kimia adalah sebagai berikut :
Absorpsi H
2
S

()

()

()

()


Ionisasi H
2
S

()

Oksidasi Sulfida

Absorpsi Oksigen

()

()

()

()

Oksidasi Besi

()

Reaksi keseluruhan

()

()

3. Shell-Paques/THIOPAQ
TM

Proses Shell-Paques/THIOPAQ
TM
dapat menghilangkan H
2
S pada aliran gas alam
tekanan rendah, sedang ataupun tinggi. Pada proses ini aliran gas yang mengandung H
2
S
dikontakkan dengan larutan air soda yang mengandung bakteri Thiobacillus pada
absorber. Soda mengabsorp H
2
S dan sialirkan ke aerated atmospheric tank dimana secara
biologi bakteri mengubah H
2
S menjadi sulfur.
[1]

Deskripsi proses :
[1]
Reaksi yang terjadi di absorber (pada tekanan feed gas)

Reaksi yang terjadi di bioreactor (pada tekanan atmosfer)

Note : (tambahan tentang Proses Claus)
[3]
This process includes two main section : the burner section with a reaction chamber
that does not have a catalyst, and a Claus reactor section. In the burner section, part of the
feed containing hydrogen sulfide and some hydrocarbons is burned with a limited amount
of air. The two main reactions that occur in this section are the complete oxidation of part
of the hydrogen sulfide (feed) to sulfur dioxide and water and the partial oxidation of
another part of the hydrogen sulfide to sulfur. The two reactions are exothermic :

In the second section, unconverted hydrogen sulfide reacts with the produced sulfur
dioxide over a bauxite catalyst in the Claus reactor. Normally more than one reactor is
available. In the Super-Claus process (Figure 4-3), three reactors are used. The last
reactor contains a selective oxidation catalyst of high efficiency. The reaction is slightly
exothermic :

Figure 4-3. The Super Claus process for producing sulfur. (1) main burner, (2,4,6,8)
condensers, (3,5) Claus reactors, (7) reactor with selective oxidation catalyst
After each reaction stage, sulfur is removed by condensation so that it does not collect on
the catalyst. The temperature in the catalyst converter should be kept over the dew point
of sulfur to prevent condensation on the catalyst, which reduces activity.
Due to the presence of hydrocarbons in the gas feed to the burner section, some
undesirable reaction occur, such as the formation of carbon disulfide (CS
2
) and carbonyl
sulfide (COS). A good catalyst has a high activity toward H
2
S conversion to sulfur and
reconversion of COS and CS
2
to sulfur and carbon oxides. Mercaptans in the acid gas
feed results in an increase in the air demand. For example, approximately 5-13% increase
in the air required is anticipated if about 2 mol% mercaptans are present. The increase in
the air requirement is essentially a fuction of the type of mercaptans present. The
oxidation of mercaptans could be represented as:

Sulfur dioxide is then reduced in the Claus Reactor to elemental sulfur.

REFERENCES :
1. Hidayat, Sungging. 2012. Perancangan dan Estimasi Biaya Sulfur Recovery Unit
metode Superclaus. Fakultas Teknik Departemen Teknik Kimia, Universitas
Indonesia, Depok.
2. Mahin Rameshni, P.E Sulfur Recovery Unit : Expansion Case Studies Worley
Parsons, resources & energy, UK
3. Sammi Matar and Lewis F. Hatch.1994.Chemistry of Petrochemical Processes
second edition; provides quick and easy access to hundreds of reaction, processes
and products, Texas. Hal 116-117
4.