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Summary
As more focus extends to a circular economy, there are industry wide discussions on whether future global sulphur demand will be challenged by the energy transition and decarbonisation. Hannes Storch, Collin Bartlett and Marcus Runkel of Metso discuss how the recycling of pyrite tailings could address some of these issues.Abstract
In bygone days the predominance of sulphuric acid production was from the processing of pyrite. Today pyrite is a by-product of the mining industry that often ends up in tailings. With concerns over future global sulphur demand being challenged by the energy transition and decarbonisation, refocussing on pyrite could also address some of these issues. A 2017 report by the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) estimated that the mining industry produced between 10 and 20 billion tonnes of tailings annually. Most of the pyrite tailings originate from copper mining, and mainly consists of sulphur, iron, SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, as well as valuable non-ferrous metals. Globally there are 580 operations exploiting copper, with 190 cases from where resources and reserves are reported1. As most of the mined waste material is tailings, the assumption is that there are ~204 billion tonnes of current and future tailings globally with pyrite content varying between 4-8%. Keywords: pyrite roasting, ore, mine tailings, pyrite tailings, roasting process, pyrite, Mazidagi, metals recovery, sustainable, circular economy, energy transition, decarbonisation, sulphuric acid production, green energy, fluid bed roasting Circoroast process, MetsoSummary
This troubleshooting case study describes an incident at one of the sulphur recovery units at BPCL Kochi Refinery, India. Following a maintenance turnaround of the unit in 2022, unusually high H2S and SO2 were observed at the outlet of the Claus section. This created an additional load on the tail gas reactor, which led to frequent plugging in the quench column and frequent outages in the tail gas unit, creating environmental and reliability issues in the unit. The activities to identify the root cause of the incident are described and the measures to solve the problem are shared.Abstract
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) Kochi Refinery has three sulphur recovery units SRU1 (140 t/d), SRU2 (80 t/d) and SRU3 (2 x 337 t/d). SRU3 has two identical trains (Train A and Train B) consisting of a Claus section, tail gas treatment unit (TGTU) and thermal oxidiser with a common amine regeneration facility (see Fig. 1). SRU3 is designed to process acid gases from the amine regeneration unit and sour gases from the phenolic sour water units (SWS1) and non-phenolic sour water units (SWS2) with a design sulphur recovery of 99.9% (min). Keywords: sulphur recovery, SRU, troubleshooting, case study, sulphur recovery units, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, BPCL, Kochi Refinery, plugging, quench column, tail gas unit, channelling, Claus converter, catalyst, air demand analyser, coalescer, simulation, catalyst activity, meshSummary
Refinery sour water strippers are an often overlooked resource of low GWP ammonia. Martin A. Taylor and Charles L. Kimtantas of Bechtel Energy Technologies and Solutions, Inc. (BETS) show the results of a study on reusing an existing SWS as one of the major systems in a SWSPlus unit for the recovery of ammonia for sale. Relative cost factors will compare a complete SWSPlus unit versus reusing an existing SWS.Abstract
With concerns about global warming potential (GWP100) and the carbon intensity (CI) of processes growing, the use of ammonia (NH3) as a hydrogen carrier and fuel is generating more and more interest. One source of low GWP ammonia that is commonly ignored is from refinery sour water strippers (SWS). However, that ammonia exists with hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and is routed to a Claus sulphur recovery unit (SRU) for combustion, resulting in the destruction of the ammonia on the path to recovery of the sulphur. Other emissions (NOx, CO, CO2, PM10) are also increased by the processing of SWS gas in the SRU. Bechtel’s SWSPlus® technology can be used to separate the ammonia and hydrogen sulphide into separate streams, which enables a high-value, low CI, saleable ammonia product plus a cleaner feed to the SRU. Keywords: sour water stripping, refinery, SWS, ammonia recovery, global warming potential, low GWP ammonia, SWSPlus, acid gas stripping, ammonia stripping, purification, liquefaction, case study, SWS equipment, Bechtel Energy Technologies and SolutionsSummary
In this case study, Florian Kistl of CS Combustion Solutions presents a comprehensive strategy for the capacity enhancement and optimisation of a sulphuric acid production plant that was facing several operational challenges that were hindering its efficiency and reliability. As a result of a series of targeted optimisations, including the innovative use of ultrasonic nozzles and CFD modelling, downtime and maintenance costs were reduced, and a substantial capacity increase was achieved.Abstract
Sulphuric acid production is a critical process in various industrial sectors. This particularly applies to mining, where H2SO4 is extensively used for a wide range of applications. In the mining industry, H2SO4 plays a pivotal role in processes such as leaching of copper, cobalt and precious metals. In this beneficiation process it is used to extract these metals from their ores. Additionally, it is used in the production of phosphoric acid, which is essential for manufacturing fertilisers, and in the descaling of equipment to remove mineral deposits, ensuring the smooth operation of mining machinery. Keywords: sulphuric acid, CFD modelling, ultrasonic nozzles, case study, capacity increase, optimisation, revamp, incomplete combustion, pressure drop, maintenance, nozzle plugging, vector wall, hot spots, swirl bodies, enhanced combustion, sulphur furnace, CS Combustion SolutionsSummary
Optical gas imaging technology, enhanced by artificial intelligence, offers a groundbreaking approach to monitoring SO2 emissions in real time. Andrés Russu of SENSIA introduces SENSIA's RedLook solution which offers fully autonomous, 24/7 continuous monitoring of SO2 leaks, providing industries with the tools they need to maintain environmental integrity and operational safety.Abstract
In an era where industrial operations in modern economies are at risk due to their environmental impact on surrounding communities, it is critical to implement technological solutions that promote sustainability in heavy industries so that they can continue contributing to economic prosperity. One of the most significant environmental impacts comes from the effect of pollutant gas emissions on air quality. Among these gases, sulphur dioxide (SO2) stands out due to its significant contribution to local air contamination and acid rain. Real-time detection of SO2 leaks is paramount for ensuring air quality and compliance with stringent environmental regulations. Optical gas imaging (OGI) technology, enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI), offers a groundbreaking approach to monitoring SO2 emissions, providing industries with the tools they need to maintain environmental integrity and operational safety. Keywords: emissions monitoring, SO2 leak detection, RedLook, optical gas imaging, OGI, infrared, camera, SO2 emissions, artificial intelligence, AI, autonomous, continuous monitoring, Aurubis, Rio Tinto, SENSIASummary
In the last two years there have been significant changes to the level and location of sulphur inventory, which has caused swings in short-term supply availability. Inventory plays a necessary role in balancing the sulphur market but exactly when, where, how, and why inventory enters the market can trigger a diverse range of price responses. In this insight article, CRU's Peter Harrisson looks at how inventory change influences sulphur availability and pricing.Abstract
The sulphur market is in a constant state of structural imbalance as supply and demand movements are driven by different economic drivers. This drives a frequent flip-flop between surplus and deficit driving the necessity for inventory to manage this volatility in availability. Keywords: sulphur market, sulphur inventory, market insight, global sulphur, sulphur supply, sulphur demand, China, port inventory, stock drawdown, sulphur export, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, CRUSummary
China's acid production continues to grow as new smelters come on-stream. But high domestic demand from phosphate production as export restrictions are lifted and a shortage of copper concentrate may limit the potential for acid exports.Abstract
While China’s growth has slowed after the breakneck growth of the first two decades of the 21st century, it remains a mainstay of global manufacturing, and growth continues, albeit at a slower rate. GDP grew by 5.2% in 2023 and is forecast to rise by only 4.7% this year, as the economy continues to be dogged by a downturn in the property sector, high levels of indebtedness, especially among regional governments, elevated youth unemployment and deflationary pressures, as well as a demographic shift to an older population with more retirees. Nevertheless, these are still significant increases, especially in a country responsible for almost half of all global demand of some key raw materials like copper and nickel. Keywords: phosphate, battery, batteries, phosphoric, MAP, DAP, LFP, titanium, pyrites, smelter, copper, sour, sulphurSummary
Join us at the CRU Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid 2024 Conference and Exhibition in Barcelona, 4-6 November, for a global gathering of the sulphur and sulphuric acid community. Meet leading market and technology experts and producers, network, share knowledge, and learn about market trends and the latest developments in operations, process technology and equipment.Abstract
The Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid 2024 Conference and Exhibition takes place at the Hyatt Regency Barcelona Tower in Barcelona 4-6 November. This year marks the 40th year of the Sulphur conference and features the most comprehensive agenda yet. Keywords: conference preview, Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid 2024 Conference, exhibition, Barcelona, sulphur, sulphuric acid, agenda, exhibitor profiles, troubleshooting, sulphur clinic, sulphuric acid clinic, presentations, panel discussionsSummary
Transporting sulphur as a dry bulk solid can lead to it breaking into small particles which create dust. Over the years, various forming processes have been developed to try and minimise dust formation and produce the strongest, most resilient formed sulphur particles.Abstract
While sulphur emerges from a Claus plant as a liquid, and a sizeable minority of sulphur is still consequently stored and transported as a liquid, keeping large volumes of sulphur at high temperatures creates challenges for transportation, and these days most of it is transported long distances as a bulk solid. However, this in turn can create its own problems, and this has led to a number of different alternatives for forming solid sulphur. Keywords: slate, prill, prills, prilling, pellet, pastille, granule, granulation, wet, dry, block