Technical paper
Can Stripping Really Occur In Amine Contactors?
Absorbers absorb. Strippers strip. It is what they do. But what happens if they don't? In discussions of amine contactors, the statement "Under the right conditions, stripping can occur" is sometimes heard. This has been said often enough that some people accept it as fact, while others dismiss the idea. We investigated this claim and did find that during co-absorption of both H2S and CO2, there can be movement of one of these two species from the amine into the vapor, and established conditions that cause it. As an example, we found that DEA can release H2S in the when the feed gas also contains CO2. This paper will show when stripping cannot occur, explore potential causes of stripping in an absorber, and give examples of conditions that cause stripping.
Absorbers absorb. Strippers strip. It is what they do. But what happens if they don’t? In discussions of amine contactors, the statement “Under the right conditions, stripping can occur” is sometimes heard. This has been said often enough that some people accept it as fact, while others dismiss the idea. We investigated this claim and did find that during co-absorption of both H2S and CO2, there can be movement of one of these two species from the amine into the vapor, and established conditions that cause it. As an example, we found that DEA can release H2S in the when the feed gas also contains CO2. This paper will show when stripping cannot occur, explore potential causes of stripping in an absorber, and give examples of conditions that cause stripping.