Design and optimization of a concentric setup for the separation of Heat Stable Salts from industrial lean amine solution using electromagnetic forces

• Published in: International journal of greenhouse gas control 2020-10, Vol.101, p.103137, Article 103137
• Main Authors: Hai, Abdul, Vengatesan, M.R., Zain, Jerina Hisham, Abou-Khousa, Mohamed, Banat, Fawzi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electromagnetic field; Flow rate; Heat stable salts (HSS); Lean amine; Lorentz force
• ISSN: 1750-5836; 1878-0148
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijggc.2020.103137

•A unique electromagnetic process was designed and tested for the removal of HSS from industrial lean amine.•HSS removal depends on the applied voltage, feed flowrate and electromagnetic forces.•Electromagnetic salt removal (EMSR) process exhibited higher separation efficiency.•EMSR is a cost-effective and energy-efficient compared to electrodialysis. The accumulation of heat-stable salts (HSS) in the gas sweetening amine units causes several problems, including foaming, corrosion, and fouling. Herein, a simple and efficient electromagnetic salt removal (EMSR) process was proposed for the separation of HSS from industrial lean amine solution. In this process, HSS were separated through an electro polarization mechanism instead of electrosorption. For this purpose, a lab-scale concentric flow setup was fabricated using aluminum conduit and rod as an anode and cathode, respectively. The effects of the process operational parameters, including flow rate, applied voltage, residence time, and pH were investigated. At the best-operating conditions, a maximum of 15 % HSS removal percentage was achieved in one pass having the power consumption of 0.003 Wh/L. This study demonstrated the potential usage of EMSR for industrial applications.