Summary:
A commercial-scale process to extract and reuse pure hydrogen from the hydrogen sulfide that naturally contaminates unrefined oil, including oil sands, has been developed by a collaboration between the U.S. Dept. of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory and Kingston Process Metallurgy Inc. (KPM) of Kingston, Ontario. It is less energy- and capital-intensive that existing processes, such as the Claus process. The reactions between the hydrogen sulfide and copper and the copper sulfide and air release energy that helps to heat the system. It produces sulfuric acid as a byproduct and is resistant to contaminants such as ammonia and various hydrocarbons, converting them to their elemental state instead. Thus far this process has only been demonstrated in the lab. A pilot scale reactor will be developed next. (Published: 03/09/08)
Notes:
- hydrogen sulfide present in crude oil and raw natural gas
- conventionally removed using Claus process, invented more than 100 years ago
- energy- and capital-intensive
- limited in terms of the other types of impurities it can handle
- costly energy-intensive modules that scrub other contaminants, such as ammonia, methane and carbon dioxide from raw oil and natural gas must be separately attached to Claus processing facilities
- loses the hydrogen in the process
- gets converted into water
- Argonne and KPM method
- centered around a molten copper reactor
- innovative process technology that is more energy-efficient than existing methods
- in the reactor, hydrogen sulfide gas is first separated from the crude oil stock, using technology already in place
- this gas is then bubbled though molten copper
- releases pure hydrogen
- the hydrogen is then captured for use as a valued product
- as the sulfur reacts with the copper, the copper is gradually turned into copper sulfide
- in addition the process creates concentrated sulfuric acid
- used widely in the chemical industry and which has become a valued agricultural commodity
- the concentrated sulfuric acid is created when copper sulfide is reacted with air to recover the pure copper
- releases a concentrated stream of sulfur dioxide which is then reacted with water
- the copper is then reused in the process with negligible losses
- the reactions between the hydrogen sulfide and copper and the copper sulfide and air release energy that helps to heat the system
- enables the products to be efficiently harvested
- system operates at a temperature of about 1,200 degrees Celsius
- contaminants such as ammonia and various hydrocarbons are reformed to their elemental constituents
- demonstrated in lab
- next step is to develop a pilot scale reactor
- Companies will be able to retrofit their facilities with the process technology or construct new plants that incorporate it
