Mercaptan removal with electroscrubbing pilot

Abstract

A new electroscrubbing technology has been developed. This Power-to-X process utilizes active chlorine, which oxidizes impurities and is continuously regenerated in an electrochemical cell. The process is primarily intended for hydrogen sulfide capture, but has shown potential in removing other sulfur components as well. In this paper the capability of the process for removing methyl mercaptan has been examined.The electroscrubbing process was able to remove mercaptan to undetectable levels. The capture rate of mercaptan was primarily determined by the applied electrical current. Gas flow and concentration had a negligible effect on the capture while liquid flow had only a minor impact.The primary product of the mercaptan oxidation was found to be sulfate ions.