Activated Carbon For Oil Refineries Heycarbons Manufacturer From China
This article mainly introduces the main role of activated carbon in oil refineries, the processes in oil refining and wastewater treatment, and the types of suitable activated carbon products.
What is the Use of Activated Carbon in Oil and Gas Industry?
Oil and gas refineries are the backbone of modern industry, processing crude oil into fuel and other important products. Activated carbon is widely used in various oil refining and natural gas purification processes in refineries, mainly in desulfurization, oil refining, gas purification, wastewater treatment and other links.
- Desulfurization: adsorption of sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S).
- Oil refining: used for decolorization and deodorization of lubricating oil, white oil, base oil, etc.
- Gas purification: adsorption of harmful gases such as VOC, H₂S, ammonia, etc.
- Wastewater treatment: removal of organic pollutants, heavy metals, color and odor.
Activated Carbon in Petroleum Refining Functions
Activated carbon is widely used in petrochemical and natural gas processing. Its main function is to adsorb impurities, including mercury, sulfides (such as mercaptans), organic impurities, acid gases, etc. In actual operation, based on the adsorption efficiency, the nature of the pollutants and the consideration of avoiding contamination of the activated carbon, the following is the recommended treatment sequence:
1. Mercury Removal
- Mercury is highly toxic and can cause irreversible poisoning to downstream equipment (such as catalysts).
- Activated carbon is often modified with sulfur, halides, etc. to enhance the chemical adsorption of mercury.
- Putting it in the front is to protect downstream activated carbon and equipment.
Sulfur Impregnated Activated Carbon for Mercury Removal
2. Desulfurization (including H₂S)
- H₂S can corrode equipment and also reduce the adsorption capacity of downstream activated carbon.
- Modified activated carbon (such as impregnated with iron or copper oxides) is also required to improve desulfurization efficiency.
Activated Carbon For Biogas H2S Removal-Heycarbons
3. Removal of mercaptans (RSH) and other organic sulfur compounds
- Mercaptan has a strong odor and has a great impact on the quality of finished oil.
- It is recommended to use activated carbon with high specific surface area and high porosity.
4. Removal of liquid hydrocarbons
- Remove light mercaptans, organic sulfur, trace water, odorous compounds, impurities, etc.
- Ensure that highly toxic elements (such as mercury) and corrosive components (such as H₂S) are not introduced into the subsequent system in liquid hydrocarbons.
- Use activated carbon to further improve product stability, color, odor, etc.
5. Removal of amines and ethylene glyco
- Amines and ethylene glycol can easily cause clogging of activated carbon pores and are usually treated separately at a later stage.
- It has a significant purification effect on circulating fluids (such as amine liquids and MEG), but requires high-quality activated carbon.
Activated Carbon For Amine MDEA DEA Filtration-Heycarbons
6. Oil purification
- Used for final product refining or recovery.
- Activated carbon mainly provides decolorization, deodorization, and adsorption of fine impurities.
7. Condensate purification
It is usually the last step to deal with residual organic matter and trace pollutants.
Activated Carbon For Condensate Water-Heycarbons
Notice
- In practical applications, multiple stages are often connected in series according to demand: each type of activated carbon is responsible for a certain type of pollutant and is arranged according to adsorption priority.
- Special modified activated carbon (such as silver-loaded, sulfur-loaded, and metal-loaded) needs to be selected according to the target pollutant and cannot be used in disorder.
- Once activated carbon is contaminated by high concentrations of impurities (such as amines, thiols, and ethylene glycol), its adsorption capacity will be seriously reduced, so seriously polluted substances should be treated in a separate system.
Although there is no absolutely fixed order, “first treat highly toxic and destructive pollutants (such as mercury and H₂S), then treat substances that are easy to clog or contaminate activated carbon (such as amines and ethylene glycol), and finally perform fine purification” is a commonly adopted order principle.
How to Use Activated Carbon for Oil Refining?
Pretreatment
- Filtration/Sedimentation: First remove large particles and water by filtering or sedimentation.
- Temperature and pressure adjustment: Adjust the oil temperature to 60-100°C, which is conducive to adsorption effect.
Activated carbon adsorption treatment
Method 1: Fixed bed adsorption
- The oil passes through a tower (or tank) filled with activated carbon;
- The height and flow rate of the activated carbon bed are designed according to the properties of the oil;
- The activated carbon is in full contact with the oil to adsorb impurities;
- After discharge, it is filtered and enters subsequent processing or storage.
Method 2: Stirred contact adsorption
- Add activated carbon and oil to the stirring tank and mix;
- Control the stirring time (usually 30 minutes to 2 hours);
- After the reaction is completed, filter and separate the activated carbon;
- The oil continues to be refined.
Post-processing
- Filtration or centrifugation: remove used activated carbon particles;
- Polishing filtration: finely filter out trace residues;
- Cooling/storage: cool the oil and store it.
Activated Carbon For Refinery Wastewater Treatment
In addition to oil refining, activated carbon adsorption is also an essential part of wastewater treatment. The following is a detailed introduction to the treatment process of activated carbon for refinery wastewater.
Preprocessing
- Most suspended solids, oils and biodegradable organic matter are removed.
- However, some difficult-to-degrade organic matter (such as phenol, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen-containing organic matter) still remains.
Activated carbon adsorption treatment
Method 1: Fixed bed activated carbon tower
- The biochemical effluent is introduced into the adsorption tower filled with granular activated carbon (GAC);
- The wastewater flows through the activated carbon bed from bottom to top or top to bottom;
- The activated carbon adsorbs residual organic matter, trace heavy metals, color and odor in the water;
- After reaching the water purification standard, it is discharged or reused.
Granular Activated Carbon
Method 2: Powdered activated carbon (PAC) dosing system
- The powdered activated carbon is directly added to the contact tank or coagulation tank;
- It is mixed and stirred with the wastewater to adsorb pollutants;
- The activated carbon is then separated from the water by sedimentation or filtration.
Powdered Activated Carbon
Effluent treatment and activated carbon replacement
- After activated carbon adsorption is saturated, its treatment efficiency will decrease;
- Fixed bed activated carbon needs to be replaced or regenerated regularly;
- Powdered activated carbon needs to be processed through the sludge disposal system.
Best Activated Carbon For Oil Refining-Customer Case
Activated Carbon for Amine Purification Systems: Granular VS Briquet Activated Carbon
The customer wants to use coal-based granular activated carbon with an iodine value of min. 900mg/g and a mesh size of 8-30 to remove petroleum and hydrocarbons in the amine purification system.
The treatment effect of Heycarbons’ granular activated carbon can meet the customer’s requirements, and there is no need to use briquetted activated carbon with the same iodine value.
Reagglomerated activated carbon has a higher strength, so some customers are willing to purchase briquetted carbon at a high price.
For such uses in amine purification systems, briquetted activated carbon is not as effective as coal-based granules.
Briquetted activated carbon is relatively dense, and its ability to remove large molecules is not as good as bituminous coal granular activated carbon at the same iodine value.
Wood Powdered Activated Carbon For Refinery Wastewater Treatment
A customer used wood powder activated carbon to treat the wastewater from the refinery, with a pH of about 6 and 30-55% water in the wastewater.
The experiment showed that if the wastewater was diluted, 1 methylene blue could be reduced for every 10% of water added.
Custom Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Oil Refineries
Heycarbons provides a full range of activated solutions at competitive prices.
What Clients Say on Our Activated Carbon
Custom Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Oil Refineries
Heycarbons has proudly served the activated carbon industry with high-quality products since 2005.
You can ask customize your coconut shell activated carbon specification for your project.
- Customized size, CTC, iodine value, ash, etc.
- Personalized service and advice based on your needs and preferences. Such as acid washing, water washing.
- Cost-effective solutions customized according to customer applications. such as Ag and other precious metals.
Steps to Customize Heycarbons Activated Carbon For Oil Refineries
Consultation
By understanding your needs and requirements, our salesmen work with you to submit the appropriate activated carbon solution.
Quotation
Heycarbons expert customer service will provide you with a free quote based on your requirements as well as product specifications and quantities.
Production
Heycarbons has sufficient inventory and strong production capacity, and will report production progress to you from time to time.
Shipping
Heycarbons know you need to receive the product as soon as possible, after rigorous quality checks and protective packaging, by fedex shipping.
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