Removal of H2S from crude oil via stripping followed by adsorption using ZnO/MCM-41 and optimization of parameters

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 997 - 1006
• Main Authors: Hazrati, N, Abdouss, M, Vahid, A, Beigi, Miran A. A, Mohammadalizadeh, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Center for Environment and Energy Research and Studies (CEERS) 01.05.2014; Springer Berlin Heidelberg
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Box-Behnken design; Crude oil; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Hydrogen sulfide; Mesoporous materials; Optimization; Original Paper; Removal; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc oxide; Hydrogen sulfide; Removal; Box–Behnken design; Crude oil; Zinc oxide; Mesoporous materials; Optimization
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s13762-013-0465-z

In the present work, H2S of crude oil was removed via a two-step method including stripping followed by adsorption. First, ZnO/MCM-41 adsorbents containing 5, 17.5 and 30 wt% of zinc were synthesized and characterized using XRD and nitrogen physisorption. Then, these materials were used as adsorbents for the removal of the H2S stripped from crude oil. At second step, the H2S of crude oil was extracted to gas phase by hot stripping. The obtained extract was collected in a storage tank for the subsequent H2S adsorption process. A threefactor Box-Behnken design with five center points and one response was performed for the optimization of adsorption of H2S. The influence of process parameters and their interactional effects on the adsorption of H2S were analyzed using the obtained adsorption experimental data. A model including three important factors, i.e., temperature, space velocity and amount of supported zinc and their interactions, was developed to generate the optimum condition. The point of Zn = 30 wt%, T = 300 °C and space velocity = 3,000 h-1 had the optimum point with the highest break point time (tbp = 973 min).