Sulfint – the Czech gas desulfurization technology

The article describes one of the gas desulphurisation technologies which has been developed in the Czech Republic. The technology uses washing solution of organic complexes of various metals to remove H2S from gases. H2S removal is realized by its reaction with complexes of suitable metals with organic reagents. This leads to the H2S oxidation to elemental sulfur and the reduction of the metal protected by the organic complex to a lower oxidation state, which is also bound in the organic complex. Regeneration of the washing solution is performed by oxidation of the reduced form of the complex using oxygen from the air. Complexes of iron with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, nitrile triacetic acid or diethylenetriaminopentaacetic acid are used for the preparation of washing solutions. The reaction of the ferric complex of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid with H2S is accompanied by a change in the color of the washing solution from a deep red color (like red wine) to a light brown color (like coffee with milk) of the ferrous complex of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. When this complex is completely depleted, it begins to decompose to black ferrous sulfide by further contact with H2S. This reaction is irreversible. The ferrous complex of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid can be regenerated by reaction with oxygen, which also takes place at normal or elevated temperatures. The rate of this reaction is much slower compared to the reaction of H2S with the ferric complex. The process was discovered and intensively researched at the Institute for Fuel Research in Prague and later also at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague. The first pilot plant tests took place with the desulfurization of coke oven gas at the Coking Plant Vítězný únor in Ostrava, where the first operating facility working with the given technology was later built. Another operating facility working with this technology was put into operation at the Antonín Zápotocký High pressure gasification plant in Ústí nad Labem and was used for desulphurization of expansion gases from pressure purification of waste gas of the Rectisol system. The technology was named Sulfint. Both facilities operated successfully until the end of operation of the town-gas supply system in the Czech Republic in the mid-1990s.