Selective Absorption of H2S from a Gas Mixture with CO2 by Aqueous N-Methyldiethanolamine in a Rotating Packed Bed

Abstract

In this work, selective absorption of H2S from a gas mixture with CO2 into N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) is investigated experimentally and theoretically in a rotating packed bed (RPB). In the RPB, various rotating speeds, gas flow rates, liquid flow rates, and concentrations of MDEA aqueous solutions were studied by means of the evaluation of removal efficiency, selectivity, and overall volumetric mass transfer coefficient. The reaction−diffusion mass transfer model based on penetration theory for the selective absorption process is developed, accordingly. The results of experiment and model show that the uppermost function of RPB in selective absorption of H2S is to restrain the CO2 removal efficiency but sharply intensify the absorption of H2S. The mass transfer coefficient of CO2 absorption is enhanced in RPB. However, the total amount of CO2 mass transfer virtually is low because of the short gas−liquid contact time, small volume of packing, and large gas−liquid ratio within the RPB, and the CO2 remo...