Gas purification by adsorption of hydrogen sulfide

• US 8,551,229 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Hufton, Jeffrey Raymond, Golden, Timothy Christopher, Maliszewskyj, Robin Joyce, Weist, Edward Landis Jr., Quinn, Robert, Sorensen, Erin Marie
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US13/476,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20130125756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• Field of Search: 95/96, 951/36, 951/39, 961/10, 961/21, 961/34, 961/40
• US Class Current: 96/121
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/106 Silica or silicates
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/112 Metals or metal compounds not provided for in B01D2253/104 or B01D2253/106
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2253/202 Polymeric adsorbents
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2256/16 Hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/304 Hydrogen sulfide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/504 Carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/40056 Gases other than recycled product or process gas
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/41 using plural beds of the same adsorbent in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2259/4145 arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/047 Pressure swing adsorption
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/06 comprising oxides or hydroxides of metals not provided for in group B01J20/04
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/103 comprising silica
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/26 Synthetic macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0205 containing a reforming step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0283 containing a CO-shift step, i.e. a water gas shift step
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/042 Purification by adsorption on solids
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0475 the impurity being carbon dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/0485 the impurity being a sulfur compound
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2203/84 Energy production
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/32 by reaction of gaseous or liquid organic compounds with gasifying agents, e.g. water, carbon dioxide, air
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/48 : followed by reaction of water vapour with carbon monoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 3/56 : by contacting with solids; Regeneration of used solids C01B3/508 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/40 : of CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 20/151 : Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions, e.g. CO2

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide is removed from a hydrogen rich gas stream using adsorbents having a low loss of carbon dioxide adsorption capacity upon sulfur loading including high purity silica gels, titania or highly cross-linked, non-chemically reactive resins. The adsorbents may be used to adsorb both carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, or may be used as a guard bed upstream of a separate carbon dioxide adsorbent.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in purifying hydrogen by removal of impurities from a hydrogen feed gas, said apparatus comprising a flow path for said feed gas containing a first adsorbent in a first adsorbent vessel for adsorbing hydrogen sulfide, said flow path having a feed direction, a second adsorbent in a second adsorbent vessel for adsorbing at least carbon dioxide in said flow path downstream in said feed direction from said first adsorbent vessel, a source of at least one regeneration gas, a regeneration controller for at first intervals directing a regeneration gas from said source of regeneration gas to regenerate said first adsorbent, and for at second intervals directing a regeneration gas from said source of regeneration gas to regenerate said second adsorbent, wherein said first adsorbing is silica gel, titania, or a cross-linked resin having no ionic groups and no hydrogen sulfide reactive functional groups.