Purificationofhydrogengas

Hydrogenpurificationbypressureswingadsorption

Theproductionofhighpurityhydrogenfromagasmixturecontaining60to90mole
percenthydrogenbyusingpressureswingadsorption(PSA)Processeshasbecomethestate
oftheartTechnologychemicalandpetrochemicalindustries.over85percentageofcurrent
GlobalhydrogenunitsusedPSATechnologyforhydrogenpurificationandseveralhundred
H2PSAprocessunitshavebeeninstalledaroundtheworld.

TheH2productcontains99.999+H2andtheH2recoveryfromthePSAunitistypically
70%to95%.thePSAwastegasesrecycledasfueltothereformer,freshnaturalgas
providingthebalanceofthefuel.

ThecostofthehydrogenfrommyintegratedPSAsystemisimpactedbyboththecapital
andoperatingcostofthePSAprocess.thecapitalcostisprimarilydeterminedbythenumber
andsizeofthePSAbedsusedcommatheamountofadsorbentineachbedcommaandthe
numberofswitchvalvesrequired.

SelectionofadsorbentforPSAsystem

Anyporousmediacanbeusedasanadsorbent.foroptimumperformanceand
minimumabsorbentbedsizecommatheselectionshouldbedoneonthebasisofapplication
andthat'soptioncapacitywithrespecttoparameterssuchastypeofcontaminators,mass
transferratedurability,temperature,reactive,etc.

adsorbentisselectedonthebasisofhighestadsorptioncapacitythroatthefullrangeof
partialpressureforthecontaminantsseparatedinspecificapplication.theadsorbentshould
havesufficientmacroporosity.thishelpstoreducetheresistancetomasstransferthroughthe
adsorbentgranulesmacroporesenhancestherateofdiffusioninadsorptionanddesorption
processes.

Selectionofadsorbentisalsodoneonthebasisofservicecondition.
someoftheadsorbentsareproducedfromnaturallyoccurringmaterials.

Exampleofadsorbents

activatedcarbon
naturalzeolites

syntheticadsorbents

activatedAlumina
molecularsieves

classificationofadsorbents

Aluminabased
silicabased
zeolitebased
Carbonaceous

Thehighinternalsurfaceareaofanadsorbentcreatesahighcapacityneededfora
successfulseparationorpurificationprocess.adsorbentscanbemadewithinternalsurface
areaswhichrangesfromabout100msquarepergramtoover3000metresquarepergram.

forpracticalapplications,howevertherangeof300to1200metresquarepergram.for
mostadsorbentinternalsurfaceareaiscreatedfromporesofvarioussize.

manyabsorbentmaterials,Suchascarbons,SilicaGelandAlumina,areamorphousand
containComplexnetworksofinterconnectedmicropores,mesoporesandmacropores.

Incontrast,inzeoliteadsorbentstheporesorchannelshaveprecisedimensions
althoughamacroporousstructureiscreatedwhenpelletsaremanufacturedfromthezeolite
crystalsbytheadditionofabinder.fluidmoleculeswhicharetobeadsorbedontheinternal
surfacemustbefirstpassedthroughthefluidfilmwhichisexternaltotheadsorbentparticle,
andthroughthemacroporousstructureintomicroporeswherethebulkofthemoleculesare
absorbed

Zeolitemolecularsieves(selectedabsorbent)

zeolitesarehighPorousaluminosilicatecrystalsextensivelyusedinindustrialapplication
involvingseparation,adsorptiononpreferentialadsorptionofgases.theobjectiveoftheproject
isconcernedwiththeabsorptionofH2onthezeolitemolecularsieves.

Thebedsizeandadsorptioninventorydecreases

Thehydrogenproductivity(molesofH2produced/thetotalvolumeoftheadsorbentin
thesystem/cycle)increasesand
Thehydrogenpurification(molesofH2produced/moleoffeedH2/cycle)increases.

hydrogenproductivitycanbeincreasedbyusing

fasterPSAcycleTimes.AdsorbentswithhigherPSAworkingcapacityforimpurities
beingremovedfromH2.

HydrogenpurificationbythePSAprocesscanbeincreased

creativeprocessdesigntopreservethevoidH2inthebeforethedepressurisationsteps
ofthecycle.judiciousselectionofadsorbentusedtodecreasethecoadsorptionofH2Andto
facilitatedesorptionoftheadsorbedimpuritiesduringtheproductsH2purgestepofthe
cycle.

Introductiontopressureswingadsorption

ThecurrentGlobalproductioncapacityofgaseoushydrogenisabout17trillion
standardcubicfeetperyear.approximately95percentageofthathydrogeniscaptively
producedandusedbypetroleumrefineriesandbyeAmmoniaandmethanolmanufacturers.
Thebalanceisavailableasmerchanthydrogen,whichisproducedbyvariousindustrialgas
companiesandsoldtodifferentcustomers.theprimaryapplicationsofMerchanthydrogenare
infood,electronics,Chemicals,metalrefiningandpetrochemicalindustries.theuseofhydrogen
asacleanfuelfortransportationisalsoanemergingmarket.

ThebasicconceptofH2PSAprocessisrelativelysimple.impuritiesfromtheH2
containingfeedgasmixtureareselectivelyabsorbedbytheadsorbentinordertoproducehigh
purityH2gasatfeedpressure.theadsorbedcomponentsarethendesorbedfromthesolidby
loweringtheirsuperincumbentgasphasepartialpressureinsidethecolumnsothattheycan
bereused.