Winter 2021

Covering Best Practices for the Industry
Sulfuric Acid
www.H 2S0 4Today.com
T O D A Y
Fall/Winter 2021
Nyrstar’s Port Pirie

tackles NOx at sulfuric
acid plant Page 7
IN THIS ISSUE > > > > Sulfuric acid prices riding high into
4Q21 page 10
Acid plant debottlenecking strategies

page 24
The latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas

dewpoint/moisture leak detection Page 28
Clean Technologies
Making everyday life better, safer, cleaner

For 100 years, we have partnered sulfuric acid producers with innovative
technology and expert trouble-shooting technical support. And our tradition
of designing advanced solutions to solve site-specific challenges continues –
so we can together deliver cleaner air productively, efficiently and reliably.
Learn more on www.cleantechnologies.dupont.com
MECS®
Sulphuric acid & environmental technologies
Copyright © 2019 DuPont. The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, is registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
Sulfuric Acid
Covering Best PraCtiCes for the industry
Sulfuric Acid
www.H 2S0 4Today.com
T O D A Y
Fall/Winter 2021

acid plant Page 7
T O D A Y
Vol. 27 No. 2 Covering Best Practices for the Industry Fall/Winter 2021
IN THIS ISSUE > > > > sulfuric acid prices riding high into
4Q21 page 10
FROM THE PUBLISHER

acid plant debottlenecking strategies
page 24
the latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas

dewpoint/moisture leak detection page 28
Dear Friends, (page 12); Weir Minerals reevaluates customer service during
Welcome to the Fall/Winter 2021 issue of Sulfuric Acid the Covid-19 pandemic with innovative online video training
Today magazine. We have dedicated ourselves to covering the (page 14); DuPont shares some lessons learned regarding hydro-
On the Cover… latest products and technology for those in the industry, and gen generation and ignition in sulfuric acid plants (page 16);
7 Nyrstar’s Port Pirie hope you find this issue both helpful and informative. Ecorobotics performed a project for a fertilizer producer utilizing
With the development and wide distribution of vaccina- their robotic cleaning system (page 18); VIP International shares
tackles NOx at sulfuric tions, as well as the United States opening the Canadian and the proper steps for outage ventilation to ensure the safety of
Mexican borders to vaccinated travelers, we have decided to workers, keep equipment in operation, and minimize disruption
acid plant host our 2022 Sulfuric Acid Roundtable (SAR) in person, April to turnaround schedules (page 20); Beltran Technologies explains
4-7, 2022 in The Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. SAR 2022 how wet electrostatic precipitators can vary greatly in design,
will follow CDC recommendations for proper social distancing materials, gas flow rates, durability, and collection efficiency,
Departments… protocols during the course of the two-and-a-half day meeting and the importance of engineers being able to recognize the key
and we are looking forward to hosting another successful confer- differences among these various systems (page 22); NORAM
4 Industry Insights ence. The event will consist of informative technical presenta- Engineering & Constructors delves into some strategies to
News items about the tions, panel discussions, networking events, and a plant tour of increase the capacity of an acid plant (page 24); Breen shares the
Eco Services’ Houston acid plant. Please see our article on latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas dewpoint/moisture leak
sulfuric acid and related page 34 for more information.
detection (page 28); and Clark Solutions reflects on 30 years of
In the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Sulfuric Acid
industries their sulfuric acid innovations (page 32).
Today, Acuity Commodities discussed the recovery of
I would like to welcome our new and returning Sulfuric
the sulfuric acid market from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Acid Today advertisers and contributors, including: Acid Piping
Now several months later, key impacts include the
permanent loss of sulfur production because of the pan- Technology Inc., Acuity Commodities, Alphatherm Inc.,
16 Lessons Learned BASF, Beltran Technologies, Breen Energy Solutions, Central
demic and a sustained rally in commodity prices. Please
Case histories from the see Acuity Commodities’ informative article ‘Sulfuric Maintenance & Welding, Chemetics Inc., Clark Solutions, DuPont
acid prices riding high into 4Q21’ on page 10 for further MECS, Ecorobotics, Koch Knight LLC, Mercad Equipment Inc.,
sulfuric acid industry details. NORAM Engineering & Constructors, Optimus, STEULER-KCH
Also in this issue, we have several informative GmbH, Southwest Refractory of Texas, Spraying Systems Co.,
articles regarding state-of-the-art technology and proj- Sulphurnet, VIP International, and Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps.
26 Product News ects. Our cover story, on page 7, focuses on a recently We are currently compiling information for our Spring/
completed NOx abatement project at Nyrstar’s Port Pirie Summer 2022 issue. If you have any suggestions for articles or
Latest developments in complex’s sulfuric acid plant. Abating nitrogen oxides other information you would like included, please feel free to
created from metals processing was part of a continu- contact me via email at [email protected]. I look forward
technology ous improvement plan aimed at increasing sulfuric acid to hearing from you.
quality. Sulphurnet introduces a new process that ana-
lyzes the quantity of sulfur flour as well as provides a Sincerely,
valid end-of-pipe-solution in the sulfur melting section Kathy Hayward
PUBLISHED BY
Keystone Publishing L.L.C.
FEATURES &
GUEST COLUMNS
PUBLISHER
Kathy Hayward
14
10 Sulfuric acid prices riding high into 4Q21
EDITOR
April Kabbash 12 Gas treatment in sulfur melting plants
EDITOR
April Smith 14 Providing customer support for sulfuric acid plants during the pandemic
Marketing ASSISTANT
Tim Bowers 18 Remote controlled robots clean tanks safely and efficiently
DESIGN & LAYOUT 20 Planning for outage ventilation

24
281-545-8053 22 Wet electrostatic precipitators for superior sulfuric acid gas and mist cleaning
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3502

Covington, LA 70434 24 Acid plant debottlenecking strategies
Phone: (985) 807-3868
E-Mail: [email protected] 28 The latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas dewpoint/moisture leak detection
www.h2so4today.com
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Industry Insights
Department
the Ortigueira site will be improved because Citi is serving as lead financial advi-
ANDRITZ to supply the less sulfate needs to be discharged due to the Metso Outotec signs order sor with BMO Capital Markets Corp. as co-
world’s first sulfuric optimized Na/S balance, there is less truck for design and engineering of advisor, and Ropes & Gray LLP is serving as
traffic to the mill due to the chemical savings, legal counsel to PQ in the sale of Performance
acid plant in a pulp mill, and there is also less hazardous truck traffic a copper smelter for Freeport Chemicals. Jefferies, LLC served as financial
producing commercial-grade, because sulfur is transported in solid form and Indonesia Manyar project advisor, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as
legal advisor to Cerberus and Koch. Jones Day
not as an acid. The sulfuric acid plant meets HELSINKI, Finland—Metso Outotec has
concentrated sulfuric acid for very strict air emission limits and does not signed a major engineering and technology served as legal advisor to Koch.
“I am extremely proud of the team
Klabin’s Ortigueira facility produce any waste streams.
The technology used for this plant is based
contract as well as license agreements for the
achieving a timely and efficient close of this
GRAZ, Australia—International technology delivery of a landmark copper smelter complex
on ANDRITZ’s self-developed A-Recovery+ to be built in Gresik, East Java, in Indonesia. transaction. Further, we are pleased to pro-
group ANDRITZ has received an order to sup- vide another meaningful return of capital to
ply a sulfuric acid plant for Klabin’s Ortigueira concept that enables pulp mills to extract side The project owner is PT Freeport Indonesia,
streams from the pulping process and turn and PT Chiyoda International Indonesia is the shareholders through a special dividend,” said
mill in Brazil. The plant will be the first of its Belgacem Chariag, PQ’s Chairman, President
kind worldwide and is designed to produce them into commercial-grade products/com- EPC contractor.
modities. ANDRITZ recently completed a suc- Metso Outotec’s scope of delivery is and Chief Executive Officer. “While our name
150 tons of commercial-grade (>98%) sulfuric is changing to Ecovyst, our culture and focus
cessful start-up of the world’s first methanol based on the licensed, well-proven Metso
acid per day from concentrated odorous gases on innovation and customer collaboration will
purification plant based on the A-Recovery+ Outotec Flash Smelting, Flash Converting, and
and elemental sulfur. Once completed, the remain one of our greatest strengths. We are
concept. A-Recovery+ now also offers solu- Lurec® technology. It includes the design and
plant will serve Klabin’s Puma I and Puma excited to move forward with Ecovyst’s strate-
tions for the treatment of odorous gases in the supply of key process equipment and process
II pulp lines at Ortigueira and make Klabin’s gic growth plans, prioritizing and accelerating
pulp and paper industry as well as for produc- control systems for the main areas of the smelt-
Ortigueira site completely self-sufficient in our Growing and Greening initiatives, and put-
tion of sulfuric acid from these gases. er complex, the copper electrolytic refinery, the
sulfuric acid. ting sustainability for a safer, cleaner, healthier
For more information, please visit gas cleaning and sulfuric acid plant, the slag
ANDRITZ will supply technologies on world at the forefront of our strategy.”
www.andritz.com. concentrator, and the effluent treatment plant.
EPCC basis for elemental sulfur handling, sul- After the purchase, PQ Group Holdings
Metso Outotec has previously provided
fur, and concentrated non-condensable gases Inc. became Ecovyst Inc., a pure-play catalysts
certain front-end engineering design (FEED)
(CNCG) combustion to form sulfur dioxide and services company with a sustainability
and other advanced engineering services for
(SO2), sulfur dioxide conversion into concen- focus and industry leading growth outlook.
this 1.7 mtpa copper concentrate smelter com-
trated (98% by wt.) sulfuric acid, and a flue The new company will comprise two high-
plex. This complex is expected to be commis-
gas handling system. The sulfuric acid plant sioned in 2024. growth, high-margin businesses, Eco Services
uses wet-gas sulfuric acid (WSA) technol- “Our joint efforts with Freeport Indonesia and Catalyst Technologies, formerly Refining
ogy developed by Haldor Topsoe. The WSA and Chiyoda will set a new standard for the Services and Catalysts, respectively.
technology has been proven in more than 150 copper smelter industry in fulfilling the strict- Eco Services Operations Corp. provides
references in many industries. est international environmental standards and sulfuric acid recycling to the North American
Once the sulfuric acid plant has been efficiency requirements. We are very happy to refining industry for the production of alkylate
started up, it will help Klabin to control the The sulfuric acid plant producing commercial- work together to implement this game chang- and provides on-purpose virgin sulfuric acid
sodium and sulfur balance and the sulfidity grade, concentrated sulfuric acid for Klabin’s ing copper smelter,” said Pekka Vauramo, for water treatment, mining, and industrial
of the mill. Also, the resource efficiency of Ortigueira facility will be first of its kind worldwide. President & CEO, Metso Outotec. applications. Catalyst Technologies provides
“We have worked with Freeport Indonesia finished silica catalysts and catalyst supports
and Chiyoda for several years to ensure and necessary to produce high strength and high
select the best available process design and stiffness plastics and, through its Zeolyst joint
technologies for the Manyar project,” said venture, supplies zeolites used for catalysts
Jari Ålgars, President, Metals business area at that remove nitric oxide from diesel engine
Metso Outotec. emissions as well as sulfur from fuels during
Metso Outotec has delivered 51 cop- the refining process.
per flash smelters around the world. Metso For more information, please visit
Outotec copper flash smelting is the most Ecovyst’s new website at www.ecovyst.com.
widely applied technology for copper smelting
in the world and one of the company’s Planet INEOS Enterprises completes
Positive solutions. Using this technology,
Metso Outotec’s customers avoided more than sale of its sulfur chemicals
1.6 million tons of CO2 emissions in 2020. business to International
For more information, please visit
www.mogroup.com. Chemical Investors Group
HEFEI, China—INEOS Enterprises recent-
ly announced the completion of the sale of
Ecovyst launches as a high its sulfur chemicals business to International
growth, pure-play catalysts Chemical Investors Group. INEOS Sulfur
Chemicals business is Spain’s largest dedi-
and services company; cated manufacturer of sulfuric acid and oleum
Performance Chemicals sale serving end-applications ranging from agri-
culture to chemical intermediates. Its 400,000
For the past 30 years VIP International has led the industry in innovative completed tonne state of the art manufacturing facil-
equipment and procedures in maintaining sulfuric acid plants. As the MALVERN, Pa.—PQ Group Holdings Inc., ity with an excellent sustainability footprint is
industry demands longer run times between catalyst screening, VIP’s a leading integrated and innovative global located in Bilbao, Northern Spain.
patented catalyst handling system ensures the longest run time with provider of specialty catalysts and servic- The business will become part of
lowest pressure drops to ensure maximum performance of your es, announced recently that it has completed WeylChem’s advanced intermediates and
converter. Contact VIP International to learn how to reduce your the sale of its Performance Chemicals busi- reagents portfolio which includes an exist-
downtime and increase your production and on stream factor. ness to a partnership established by Cerberus ing sulfuric acid and oleum plant located
Capital Management, L.P. and Koch Minerals in Lamotte, Northern France. WeylChem is
& Trading LLC for a purchase price of $1.1 wholly owned by the International Chemical
billion. Investors Group. The agreement is an impor-
The company plans to use the net cash tant step in the continued development of both
proceeds from the sale to reduce its debt by businesses and presents new opportunities
225-753-8575 approximately $525 million and return cash to the 50 employees based in Bilbao as they
to shareholders through a special dividend of join what will be one of the leading European
6638 Pecue Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70817-4400 | www.vipinc.com $3.20 per share, subject to final Board approv- Sulfur Chemicals companies.
al and declaration. “I am very pleased to have completed
PAGE 4 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

Industry Insights
Department
WASTE HEAT RECOVERY
the sale of the INEOS Sulfur Chemicals busi- lithium hydroxide, and 174,400 tpa of boric
ness, which now becomes part of a strategic acid. Pending final federal US Department BOILERS
business unit within International Chemical of the Interior (DOI) approval of the Plan of
Investors Group,” said Ashley Reed CEO Operation, the project is expected to begin
SUPERHEATERS
INEOS Enterprises. “The business is an attrac- production in the second half of 2024. ECONOMIZERS
tive addition to WeylChem’s advanced inter- Commenting on the contract, ioneer
mediates and reagents portfolio that will help Managing Director, Bernard Rowe, said:
secure future development and growth, to meet “Development of the Rhyolite Ridge lithium-
customer needs in Europe.” boron project is a critical strategic step to
Dr. Uwe Brunk CEO WeylChem Group enable US production of lithium-ion batter-
of Companies stated, “This acquisition under- ies for electric vehicles (EV) and renewable
lines our commitment to bolstering our posi- energy storage. ioneer’s core commitment is to
tion as a strategic partner in advanced interme- produce essential materials in an environmen-
diates and reagents. INEOS Sulfur Chemicals tally and socially responsible and sustainable
and our French operations at WeylChem manner through lowered emissions, reduced
Lamotte complement each other perfectly. water usage, and a minimal surface footprint.
This combined business will be an agile, cus- We are delighted to welcome MECS-DuPont
tomer-focused player with superior services to our team. It is a world-leader in clean tech-
and supply certainty provided to demanding nology and emissions control and will work
customers across Europe.” alongside ioneer to deliver this tier-1 project in
For more information, please visit the US.”
www.ic-investors.com. Global business leader of DuPont Clean
Technologies, Eli Ben-Shoshan, said: “We
have worked in close partnership with ioneer
ioneer awards sulfuric scid and SNC-Lavalin to be able to guarantee the
plant contract to DuPont precise performance and emissions control
ioneer needs for its Rhyolite Ridge project to
Clean Technologies meet stringent environmental standards and
NORTH SYDNEY, New South Wales— production objectives. We are excited to be
ioneer Ltd, an emerging lithium-boron suppli- part of a project that helps ioneer cleanly pro-
er, recently announced it has awarded DuPont duce lithium essential to advancement of elec-
Clean Technologies (DuPont) a contract for the tric energy markets and to be able to support it
license, engineering, and supply of proprietary with our many decades of expertise in sulfuric
equipment for the planned sulfuric acid plant at acid plant technology.”
the company’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron DuPont Clean Technologies brings over
Project in Nevada. 90 years of expertise to best-in-class sulfu-
Specialty technology provider DuPont ric acid plant engineering, processes, energy
will work with engineering partner SNC- recovery and environmental technologies, and
Lavalin on the plant design, providing best-in- also provides a range of specialty products
class MECS® sulfuric acid production technol- and services to numerous other industries. The
ogy for a plant with a capacity of 3,500 tonnes company has designed more than a thousand
per day, and controls that limit emissions to customized plants worldwide to enable pro-
among the lowest in the world for this type of ducers to run efficient, competitive plants with
facility. The DuPont contract is conditional on low CAPEX and OPEX costs tailored to suit
a final investment decision by the ioneer Board their feedstock, location, local environmental
of Directors. regulations, energy requirements, and industry.
Employing advanced technologies, the For more information, please visit
plant will meet stringent NV Class II air www.ioneer.com.
quality standards and water pollution control.
DuPont will also supply its latest generation
MECS® Super GEAR™ catalyst and other Chemetics awarded Bodal
critical proprietary equipment.
The plant will convert sulfur into com-
Chemicals Ltd. new sulfuric
mercial grade sulfuric acid, used to leach acid plant contract
lithium and boron from the crushed rock. The VANCOUVER, Canada – Chemetics Inc. has Op�mus delivered its rst sulfuric acid plant waste heat recovery system
heat released in the process will be recovered been awarded a contract by Bodal Chemicals in 1996. Across the power and process industries, we’ve produced more
to produce steam for electricity. The plant will Ltd., India for a new 1050 MTPD sulfuric acid
generate an initial 35 MW of electricity, which heat recovery boilers, HRSGs, superheaters, and economizers than any
plant using solid sulfur as feedstock. The plant
is sufficient to power the entire Rhyolite Ridge will produce both 32-33% oleum and 98.5% ac�ve company in the USA.
operation and means ioneer will not draw elec- sulfuric acid as products which will be used
tricity from the grid. Rhyolite Ridge will be an Op�mus and its Chanute Manufacturing plant have a long‐standing rep‐
by Bodal Chemicals Ltd. for the production of
energy-independent operation, using primar- dye intermediates. Based on vision and desire
uta�on for high‐quality workmanship and on‐�me performance. Cus‐
ily co-generated, zero-carbon power. The heat of Bodal Chemicals Ltd. for conservation of tomers trust our unique manufacturing exper�se and have condence
generated will also be used for evaporation and water and maximization energy recovery, the in our quality control and comprehensive project execu�on.
crystallization processes required to produce new sulfuric acid plant will be designed using
lithium carbonate and boric acid.
an air-cooled cooling water system and an  50 years of manufacturing experience
The plant’s capability was an instrumen-
enhanced boiler feed water preheating system  99% life�me on‐�me delivery performance
tal part of ioneer’s receipt of a Class II Air
with SARAMET® acid coolers.  20 years experience in Sulfuric Acid waste heat recovery equipment
Quality Permit in June 2021 by the State of
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection This project continues Chemetics suc-
Bureau of Air Pollution Control, which is a cess in serving the Indian sulfuric acid mar-
requirement to begin construction. It is the first ket. In the last three years Chemetics has
sulfuric acid plant permitted in Nevada. signed contracts for three new sulfuric acid Ph: 918‐491‐9191
Once operational, Rhyolite Ridge plants and several sulfuric acid concentration
www.op�mus‐tulsa.com
is expected to produce 20,600 tonnes per plants in India.
annum (tpa) of lithium carbonate, converting For more information, please visit, www. Email: info@op�mus‐tulsa.com
in year four to 22,000 tpa of battery-grade worley.com/chemetics. q
Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021 PAGE 5

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Cover Story
acid plant
Nyrstar’s Port Pirie multi-metal smelting facility in South Australia

recently upgraded its sulfuric acid unit to mitigate nitrogen oxides.
By: April Smith, Editor, Sulfuric Acid Today
O
n the heels of a major redo of Nyrstar’s Port Pirie ies in South Australia. The smelter is one of the area’s major greater proportion of value contained in a wider range of
operation in South Australia, the metals producer businesses, employing over 700 people. The community and high-margin feed materials, including internal zinc smelter
recently completed a NOx abatement project at the the smelter are intrinsically linked and Nyrstar has a strong residues and concentrates. The key aspects of the redevel-
facility’s sulfuric acid plant. Abating nitrogen oxides created focus on reducing emissions from the site and has worked opment included replacing the existing sinter plant with an
from metals processing was part of a continuous improve- with the community to reduce exposure and improve com- oxygen enriched bath smelting furnace and replacing the
ment plan aimed at increasing sulfuric acid quality. munity health. existing sulfuric acid plant with a new plant with greater
Nyrstar Port Pirie is part of Nyrstar, a global multi- capacity and upgraded technology.
metals business with a market leading position in zinc and
About Port Pirie lead, and growing markets in other metals. Employing over
Port Pirie is an integrated multi-metals recovery plant
4,000 people, Nyrstar has mining, smelting, and other opera-
Implementing NOx abatement
capable of processing a wide range of lead-rich concentrates A combination of factors in Port Pirie’s furnace opera-
tions in Europe, the United States, and Australia.
and smelting industry by-products. As one of the world’s tion was generating NOx levels in product acid above cus-
largest primary lead smelting facilities and the third largest tomer requirements, which is less than 30 g/t.
silver producer, Port Pirie generates significant economies of Redeveloping the facility Port Pirie uses an Outotec Ausmelt top submerged lance
scale. The facility’s end products are commodity-grade lead, In 2018, Nyrstar completed a major redevelopment (TSL) furnace to produce lead bullion and a high lead slag.
copper cathode, silver dore, and sulfuric acid. project at Port Pirie, converting the operation into an The sulfuric acid plant converts the sulfur dioxide contained
In continuous operation for over 130 years, the smelter advanced metal recovery and refining facility with greater in the furnace’s off gas to produce concentrated sulfuric acid.
is located in the city of Port Pirie, one of the key regional cit- operating flexibility. This enabled the site to capture a A combination of the TSL furnace’s operating temperature,

Cover Story
Major redevelopment of Port Pirie’s metal operation Port Pirie in 2018 after complete redevelopment of the Nyrstar’s Port Pirie operation in South Australia is home
underway in 2017. facility. to one of the world’s largest lead smelters.
feed stock, and fuel type was creating the high NOx levels.
The NOx generated in the TSL furnace enters the acid Quick Facts
plant where it reacts with sulfuric acid to form nitrosylsul-
furic acid (HNOSO4). While NO is essentially insoluble in
H2SO4, NO2 dissolves to create nitrosylsulfuric acid, which Port Pirie sulfuric acid plant
forms fine droplets that are carried to the candle filters of • Metallurgical double-contact double-
both the Intermediate Absorption Tower (IAT) and Final absorption.
Absorption Tower (FAT). The nitrosylsulfuric acid then drips • Converter with four catalyst beds.
into the candle filter seal pots, overflows into the towers, and • Treats TSL furnace off gas containing 7-12%
enters the product acid stream. SO2.
In late 2018, the project team at Port Pirie made some Fig. 1: Percentage NOx reduction in sulfuric acid at Port Pirie. • Feed gas is conditioned in a wet gas cleaning
process adjustments, which reduced the NOx levels in prod- plant using GEA Bischoff technology—
uct acid by 20-50 percent, but further changes were needed adjust to varying NOx inputs,” Wright said. the most robust and efficient system for
to reach the target specifications. The addition of sulfamic acid and hydrogen peroxide removing impurities from metallurgical off
destroys the nitrosylsulfuric acid by making nitrous oxide gas containing SO2.
“So we conducted a thorough literature review and con-
that is vented via the existing suction system through the • Impurities removed include: metallic oxide
sulted with engineering firms to come up with the best solu-
dusts (PbO, ZnO), condensable vapors
tion,” explained project engineer, Amy Wright. They consid- acid plant stack. Table 1 shows the reactions.
(arsenic, selenium, mercury), acid mist,
ered multiple reagents (including hydrazine addition, urea or The team decided to add the reagents to the absorption
water vapor, and hydrogen fluoride.
ammonia) and longer term processes as a second stage to the tower circulating tanks to offset the dilution water that was
project (including scrubbing, Selective Catalytic Reduction, being added, ensuring 98.5 percent acid strength could be
and Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction). After a complete maintained during periods of high dosing requirements.
By late 2020, the team further optimized the plant,
assessment, they chose sulfamic acid and hydrogen peroxide Like every project team, the NOx abatement team had
improving operational performance and reducing costs. “It
dosing as the next step on the NOx abatement journey. “This its challenges, the largest one being navigating a global
has been a great success story for the plant,” Wright said.
was the quickest to install and offered the most flexibility to pandemic. “Because of Covid-19, we had to switch our
With the NOx abatement project complete, Port Pirie is
intended supplier of hydrogen peroxide; and it also affected
lead times on some equipment,” Wright said. But strong focused on other continuous improvement projects—some
team dynamics and tenacity ultimately prevailed, and the 280 of them—currently underway. “We are highly motivated
team achieved a consistent 92-98 percent NOx reduction in to improve our process whilst also enhancing our environ-
product acid (see Fig. 1). mental performance across the site,” Wright said. q
Oxidation NOHSO4 (l) + H2O2 (l) → NO2HSO4(l) + H2O (l)

Nitrosylsulfuric Hydrogen Nitronium Water
acid peroxide hydrogen
sulfate
Reduction NO2HSO4 (l) + H2NSO3H (l) → N2O (g) + 2H2SO4(l)

Nitronium Sulfamic Nitrous oxide Sulfuric acid
hydrogen acid
sulfate
Overall NOHSO4 + H2O2 + H2NSO3H → N2O + H2O + 2H2SO4
Project champion, Amy Wright, in front of the TSL furnace. Table 1: The chemical reactions of nitrosylsulfuric acid with hydrogen peroxide and sulfamic acid.

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market outlook
Sulfuric acid prices riding

Feature
high into 4Q21 Fiona Boyd,

Acuity Commodities
Freda Gordon,
Acuity Commodities
By: Fiona Boyd and Freda Gordon, Directors of Acuity Commodities
In the Spring/Summer 2021 issue of Sulfuric Acid in the accompanying graph. have adjusted operational rates due to acid pricing and/
Today, we discussed the recovery of the sulfuric acid In the sulfur market, the impact of lower production or its availability, this has been relatively limited.
market from the Covid-19 pandemic. Now several and firm demand for fertilizer production was apparent Also of note is the amount of forward buying to
months later, key impacts remain the permanent loss of when the Tampa molten sulfur quarterly contract price cover consumption requirements amid a tight market.
sulfur production because of the pandemic and a sus- was agreed at an increase of $96/lt, resulting in the raw Rather than looking for cargoes for prompt shipment,
tained rally in commodity prices. material benchmark price doubling to $192/lt DEL, the buyers were in the market as early as July to secure
In terms of the loss of sulfur production, it contin- highest level in almost 10 years (4Q11). cargoes for November arrival. We also saw sales from
ues to constrain availability of the raw material for sul- In the spot sulfur market and resulting quarterly the Far East back in May being made as far forward as
furic acid producers. We previously noted around 2.4m t settlements, prices have remained firm due to the snug for 4Q shipment with demand firm in the west of Suez
of lost production between Europe and the United States availability. This is despite a lack of notable import buy- while nearby markets such as India were not paying up.
alone just last year compared with 2019. ing liquidity in the key import market of China since 2Q. Over the past few months, the growth rate in CFR val-
While on a longer-term basis we still expect overall Despite reduced sulfur supply, there is a notable ues in India and southeast Asia have been much slower
growth in sulfur production as new refining and natural amount of sulfur-based acid moving to meet demand in than most other markets.
gas processing capacity comes online, we anticipate an the merchant market rather than for captive consump- In addition to low prompt availability contributing
impact on trade flows. This is because new sources of tion. In some cases, it is from atypical sources because to higher prices, market participants have been dealing
production will be mainly concentrated east of Suez, of the favorable economics. with higher freight rates. As an example, freight from
helping offset the overall decline in the west of Suez. Meanwhile, we have seen a loss of sulfur-based Japan/South Korea to Chile was within the range of
There is also increasing interest in how the long- supply in the UK with a closure at Runcorn with more $57-68/t CFR in 1Q21 before climbing to the $80s/t in
term shift towards lower carbon emissions and electric challenging sulfur sourcing post Covid-19 a contribut- May where it remained as of late 3Q. Drivers for higher
vehicles (EVs) will effect sulfur produced by the refining factor. The loss of this supply of around 200,000 t/ freight rates include constrained cargo availability and
ing sector, which has historically represented around yr is adding to reduced smelter acid spot exports from Covid-19 impacts.
50% of elemental sulfur output globally. Meanwhile, Europe as buyers seek alternative supply from nearby As we look to 2022 and market participants deter-
the EV trend continues to bode well for sulfur and markets. mine their strategies in a bullish market, freight will be
sulfuric acid demand, including to support production We have also seen several operational issues and a key component of the thought process.
of raw materials such as copper and lithium for key even labor disputes reducing sulfuric acid production, We also note the ongoing gap in sulfuric acid pric-
components. squeezing an already tight market. This has been preva- ing in the east of Suez versus the west of Suez with the
Shifting back to the present, many commodity lent in North America (for example) where a smelter in former lagging behind in terms of pricing. This makes
prices have remained firm in recent months. In our last Canada (Vale – Sudbury) was idled back in June due to preparing for longer-term price discussions rather dif-
article we discussed how copper pricing hit a 10-year strike action. A restart of the acid plant was expected ficult for both the buy and sell sides. The gap between
high in February 2021. Since then, pricing for the red around mid-September. In the United States, notable prices in the east and the west will likely have to close,
metal has firmed even further. We have also continued unplanned operational issues have been seen in part due or at least narrow, before formal price discussions can
to see firm phosphate fertilizer pricing. This is in turn to weather events. progress meaningfully. This begs the question: Will
supporting consumption for both sulfur and sulfuric In the meantime, supply options to cover these CFR prices in the east rise further, or will CFR prices
acid at peak levels. disruptions has been limited with essentially no spot in the west soften?
supply available out of its traditional supply source of Looking to next year, we also continue to focus on
The firm demand as well as tight supply availabil-
Europe. European smelters have been focusing on acid the unpredictability of the Chinese market. This year
ity for both products has of course resulted in a tick up
deliveries to the domestic market that saw a shortage there has been a notable amount of sulfur-based sulfuric
in pricing accordingly. But with pricing for most down-
of molten sulfur in 1H21. Smelters here have also been acid moved offshore due to favorable economics. But at
stream products firm, it has allowed for easier absorp-
prioritizing product to contractual buyer in Morocco– the same time, exports of smelter acid have been limited
tion of higher raw material costs.
fertilizer producer OCP. in part because domestic acid prices in China remain
In the acid market for example, we have seen the
In the world’s largest acid import market of Chile, firm. For 2022, key factors will be the health of the
average Chilean spot sulfuric acid price climb in tan-
we saw strike action averted in June that would have domestic market as well as copper market fundamentals
dem with copper pricing in recent months as reflected
had a notable impact on consumption. Since then, acid that will influence smelter performance accordingly.
prices have risen steadily with a notable amount of spot
demand to cover in 2H. Acuity Commodities provides insight into the sulfur and
Globally some buyers have tried to show resistance sulfuric acid markets through price assessments, data, and
to the price growth. For example, we have seen a few supporting analysis. Offerings include weekly reports on
buyers scrap purchase tenders citing high price offers. the global sulfur and sulfuric acid markets and a bi-weekly
In the end, however, business is usually concluded due report focusing on North America as well as bespoke con-
to lack of other options, and we have seen re-tenders sulting work. Please visit www.acuitycommodities.com for
attracting even higher price offers. And while some detailed information. q

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Feature
Gas treatment in sulfur melting plants

By: Jan Hermans, Director, Sulphurnet
The majority of the sulfur present in the market is pro- to micron size particles. reverse when the pH get neutralized or slightly acidic. The wa-
duced from refinery waste, where hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is Sulfurnet performed some ter that contains the product of the reaction is thus brought to
converted to sulfur by the Claus process. The sulfur is de- practical tests in a sulfur plant that a treatment tank where sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is added
gassed and then prilled, pelletised, and distributed all over the melted 20 m ton sulfur per hour. We to form sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4),
globe. This solid sulfur contains low concentrations of H2S measured the sulfur flour produced as seen in reaction 3. The treated water is then sent to a water
and during transport water will accumulate (mainly depending and then compared the experimental cleaning facility for further processing.
on the method of storage). data with the results obtained from
When remelting solid sulfur, gaseous emissions are con- a semi-empirical model that was de- Reaction 3: Na2S + 4 NaOCl  4 NaCl + Na2SO4
stantly being produced. From the evaporated water, H2S will veloped in house. The results found
partially release and a lesser known, invisible, and corrosive during testing came within a devia- The non-reacted sodium hydrogen solution is recycled in
product called sulfur flour is formed. tion as close as 10% of the estab- the system, preventing losses of the water solution.
Due to environmental regulations, the levels of H2S emis- lished model.
sion have to be minimized. This can be done by installing a Based on that outcome a new
conventional gas scrubbing system like a spray tower. In a process was developed that com-
spraying tower, H2S is removed from the gas by bringing it bines the removal of sulfur flour Sulfur flour deposit in
into contact with a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or with a H2S neutralization step. piping.
hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The H2S reacts with these chemi- In the initial step, the vapor
cals and is neutralized. from the sulfur melter is intensively mixed with a caustic solu-
However, the amount of sulfur flour formed during sulfur tion. During this step, a large amount of sulfur flour is knocked
melting disturbs the scrubbing process. A conventional scrub- out of the gas stream with the liquid solution. The second step
ber will work only 2-3 days and then an intensive cleaning consists of spraying the gas stream, now almost free of par-
process has to be performed. ticles, with the NaOH solution to neutralize the H2S. This re-
The formation of sulfur flour is a complex process; it de- sults in sodium bisulfide (NaHS) and water (H2O). The NaHS
pends on various parameters such as the humidity of the vapor, reacts further in the presence of the basic environment to form
gas volume, and gas-temperature, as well as the temperature of sodium sulphide (Na2S) as seen in reactions 1 and 2. Fig. 1: Gas treatment sulfur melting tank.
the liquid sulfur. With this new process, Sulphurnet is in the position to
The vapor exiting the melting tank consists of an aerosol. Reaction 1: H2S + NaOH  NaHS + H2O analyze the quantity of sulfur flour formed in the process as
The sulfur that nucleates on these particles can be either solid Reaction 2: NaHS + NaOH  Na2S + H2O well as provide a valid end-of-pipe-solution in the sulfur melt-
or liquid as mentioned in the research literature. The particle ing section.
size distribution varies widely and can range from sub-micron These reactions happen under basic conditions and may For more information, visit www.sulphurnet.com. q
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Providing customer support for sulfuric acid
Feature
plants during the pandemic By: Martha Villasenor, Regional Sales Manager, Weir Minerals
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed staff at the customer’s site could not bring to
what customer support looks like for nearly the workshop for inspection. The team suit-
all businesses and organizations worldwide. ed up with appropriate PPE, went inside the
Sales and customer service teams are dis- tower, and realized that the suction strainer
covering new ways to provide help as social was blocked with ceramic fragments, result-
distancing and working remotely become ing in starvation for one of the pumps. The
the standard. What has not changed, how- team advised how this problem could be
ever, is the need for customers to feel con- solved without buying unnecessary parts by
nected and know that they are supported. focusing on the root cause. The customer
These fundamental aspects of caring for the was very thankful that Weir Minerals was
customer remain essential in 2021. willing to accommodate their request and
Prior to the pandemic, we had the oppor- provide a solution.
tunity to visit acid plants around the globe. The maintenance superintendent at the
We went onsite and talked to the process, site said, “Oftentimes, salespeople from
maintenance, purchasing, and engineering other suppliers come and try to sell us their
teams to learn about their needs, upcoming product even if there is no true need and we
turnarounds, and new projects or expan- are misguided. We have to allocate our bud-
sions. These visits also allowed us to become get carefully and your honesty proves to us
acquainted with new hires, understand cus- Cristian Gonzalez, Weir Minerals product that your company has ethical professionals
tomer challenges, and offer advice on how to manager, suited up to inspect pump in genuinely interested in helping us be cost
improve operational uptime based on exam- absorption tower. effective and solve our problems.” Shield was removed from roller bearing in a
ining wear patterns and specific scenarios. As employees started visiting cus- failed maintenance attempt from third-party
As we entered the pandemic, all plants tools prior to Covid-19, they had not been tomer sites under special requirements, it shop.
started to adapt to social distancing and exploited to the extent that was used during was refreshing that we could get to the
the peak of the pandemic. A recent inquiry was sent to one of the
enhanced safety protocols. Operation man- customers who we struggled to reach via
As the pandemic continued and some Weir Minerals sales engineers in Mexico for
agers started coordinating teleconferences video conference. A smelter in Mexico has
restrictions were being lifted, it became pos- a plant that had been experiencing short life
for internal meetings and it became very a policy that restricted the use of computers
sible to visit customers onsite for specific for the roller bearing. The Weir Minerals
difficult to be on site physically. All matters and cell phones except for a few key per-
problems and needs by obtaining special team had a video conference with the cus-
were limited to phone conversations and sonnel. When we met with the Maintenance
approval and Covid-19 antigen tests. Some tomer and discovered that the repair shop
online meetings. Roundtable events were Manager at the site, we discussed 13 main-
countries, like Chile, required us to be removed the shields from the roller bearing
also cancelled, which decreased the amount tenance and process challenges and a solu-
quarantined prior to our site visit. Cristian in an attempt to grease the bearings. This
of information shared, resulting in a lack tion for each one. We discovered why one is not standard practice and is the main
of understanding of new challenges in the Gonzalez, a Weir Minerals product manager of the pumps was drawing more amperage
in Chile, talked about how he and his team reason for the shortened life of the bearings.
customer’s operation. All of these changes that eventually caused a process disruption Weir Minerals also found that the customer
are good and are essential to slowing the had to follow strict guidelines provided by when the motor breakers turned off. We
the Chilean government before visiting a obtained the bearing lock nut and washer
spread of Covid-19, but how do we still pro- were able to identify the pump and while from a third-party and did not use OEM
vide support without being onsite to discuss customer’s operation to inspect one of their it was almost identical to one of the pumps
pumps when its performance decreased. spares. We were able to provide the solution
operational concerns face-to-face? on another line (only ¼” difference on the and offer repairs and other services through
In addition, sulfuric acid plants sudden- “In order to make the visit possible, impeller trim), we advised the customer not
we followed legal procedures to quarantine one of our local service centers.
ly faced a decrease in production due to a to use those pumps as the slightly smaller As the world evolves and acid plant
limited number of onsite staff and a decrease prior to the visit on site; applying for the impeller would overload the pump’s motor.
permit and submitting all the requirements,” knowledge diminishes with staff retiring,
in demand as the global economy slowed. The pumps were not identical as the opera- we need to use technology even more to
As the world realized that the Covid-19 Cristian says. “The maintenance and process tor had assumed.
staff at this customer site were very grate- exchange information, communicate, and
pandemic was not going away soon, we On another visit, we went to a sulfur solve problems for our customers. The
had to reevaluate what it looked like to ful that we agreed to visit them and went chemicals plant in Mexico and met the newly
through the government process to comply Covid-19 pandemic has pushed us all to
provide service and care to our customers. hired Maintenance Superintendent. After become more creative in working around
We understood that we had to adapt to the with Covid prevention regulations. In this the site visit, our Weir Minerals product
particular case, the Superintendent went physical limitations. The world will keep
new landscape of people working remotely manager in Mexico coordinated an online getting smaller as we bridge the physical
and figure out how to remain consistent, through all the steps to make sure we could training in Spanish to familiarize the cus- and knowledge gaps with technology. Our
and even excel in providing support to our get permission to be on site. We inspected tomer with the sulfuric acid nuances when business, like many others, has embraced
customers in this new normal. the pumps that they were able to get out of using vertical pumps. The Maintenance this form of conducting business so we can
One of the first items on our agen- the towers and bring to the workshop.” Superintendent was very pleased to learn be available anytime, anywhere.
da was to reconnect with our customers. During this visit, Cristian and his team the capabilities Weir Minerals could provide Founded in 1871, The Weir Group
We held video conferences with our users found other pumps in the towers that the for Lewis® pumps per the factory protocol. PLC is a premium mining technology busi-
and representatives providing training and “This plant used to have people that had ness whose purpose is to make customers’
seminars. We exchanged video recordings decades of experience with Lewis pumps operations more sustainable and efficient.
with our customers regarding onsite pump and they have all retired,” the Maintenance The Group is ideally positioned to benefit
operations to learn about any new issues and Superintendent said. “We find ourselves from structural trends that support long-
monitor the existing equipment to ensure in a situation where the knowledge was term demand for its technology including
it was running properly. To accommodate not passed on and this reaching out from the need for more essential metals to sup-
the customer’s social distancing guidelines, the Lewis representative and factory is of port economic development and carbon
we repeated several online sessions due to extreme relevance to our team and very transition. Weir’s highly engineered tech-
the limited number of people physically much appreciated.” nology enables these critical resources to
allowed in the conference room at the cus- The General Director expressed his be produced with less energy, water, and
tomer’s location. As supply chains required satisfaction with the reliability of the pumps; waste - reducing customers’ total cost of
longer lead times, we were able to keep cus- the role they play in maximizing uptime for ownership. The Group has 13,000 employ-
tomers updated about delays quickly so they Absorption tower pump shows no evidence their operation; and why this knowledge is ees in over 60 countries.
could react and plan ahead. While many of high acid corrosion from blocked suction of extreme importance for the recently hired For more information, visit
companies were using these communication strainer. maintenance staff. www.global.weir. q

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lessons learned: Case histories from the sulfuric acid industry
Department
Hydrogen-generation and ignition in sulfuric

acid plants By: Chris Salgado & Walter Weiss, DuPont Clean Technologies
Hydrogen generation and ignition in sulfuric acid tion vis-a-vis the gas flowrate is almost undetectable. Most of the stack in low concentration levels. But in a stagnant
plants is an old and well discussed topic, but as we turn plant operators are not aware that it is present. plant, or a plant with low air movement, hydrogen can
over industry personnel, it is advisable to keep it in front of accumulate in high points, such as in the tops of acid
experienced plant operators as well as fresh faces for whom towers. Because hydrogen is diffusive, it mixes well with
it may be new material. This article offers a good general
The impact of process technology process gas which contains oxygen. Even normal process
overview. changes gases such as NO2, NO, and SO2 can participate in the reac-
The relative surface area of steel within an acid plant tion–reducing the LEL and increasing the energy release.
has increased over time with advances in the process tech- Once hydrogen builds up to a value exceeding its lower
Hydrogen formation nology. Introduction of new flow schemes and new equip- explosive limit of 4% (or less), an ignition source will start
Hydrogen forms by way of the following overall
ment designs has provided high points where the hydrogen a fire. If these elements are located within a confined space,
chemical reaction:
may collect if not continuously removed. These changes an ignition source will cause an explosion. There are many
Fe + H2SO4  FeSO4 + H2 over the last fifty years have generated a relatively new set confined spaces within an acid plant.
This reaction involves the exchange of electrons which of risk concerns and requirements for operator attention. The key point is worth repeating: operation of the
the iron loses and the hydrogen gains. This type of reaction As noted, corrosion in sulfuric acid plants generates acid plant’s main compressor will help to reduce hydrogen
is called an electrochemical reaction and can be described hydrogen. Contact of metal surfaces with weak acid can concentrations and minimize the confined space risk factor.
in part by its two half-cell reactions involving the electron increase corrosion rates of these metals by several orders However, if the main compressor is shut down by either
transfer as follows: of magnitude. As corrosion rates rise, hydrogen generation intent or by interlock, the risk of fire and explosion can
Fe  Fe++ + 2e− rates also increase. Over time, hydrogen forms gas bubbles increase dramatically. It should be stressed once again that
2H+ + 2e−  H2 in the acid. The movement of gas bubbles flowing through maintaining the air flow to purge the plant is key–bypassing
These equations balance both in terms of mass and the acid can disturb the passive oxide or sulfate film that and overriding interlocks if necessary.
electric charge. Neither mass nor energy is being created builds up on surfaces containing sulfuric acid, in turn fur- It is also worth noting that in the last decade or so,
nor destroyed. ther increasing corrosion rates. there have been an average of one or two hydrogen explo-
The iron oxidation reaction (loss of electrons) occurs sion incidents per year, mostly or almost entirely once the
at the metal surface, the anode, i.e. where the acid comes
into contact with iron, nickel, or chromium equipment. The Limiting corrosion plant has been shut down. The energy release even at LEL
concentrations is adequate to significantly damage equip-
hydrogen reduction reaction occurs at the cathode, which, Many common materials used in acid plants cause
ment, cause extensive down time, and incur hefty repair
in the case of a sulfuric acid plant, is in the bulk solution. only acceptable corrosion rates within relatively small
costs. And, most importantly, these incidents can put per-
It can be shown in simple form using the classical electro- concentration ranges and temperature ranges. Acid veloc-
sonnel in harm’s way.
chemical cell sketch in Fig. 1. The conductivity of the solu- ity may also have an effect. Equipment and piping must
be kept within their prescribed operating windows to keep Purging the plant prior to entering a shutdown will
tion allows the transfer of electrons to occur more willingly. help flush hydrogen out of the plant. Installing high point
The higher the acid conductivity (i.e. the weaker the acid corrosion rates low. It is critical to monitor and maintain
appropriate instrumentation for leak detection around vents in accessible locations and opening those vents after
strength) the more rapidly this reaction can proceed. purging the plant will help release hydrogen that can con-
equipment such as acid coolers that have water and acid
Sulfuric acid plants are comprised primarily of various tinue to form. Use of automated valves is recommended to
on opposing sides of metal tubes. Response to acid cooler
steels in the strong acid system, so iron is a necessity. Acid speed response time and to separate workers opening the
leaks must be swift to minimize equipment damage and
hydrogen generation. Not only will the water rapidly dilute valves from the explosion potential. Isolating equipment,
acid outside of the desired concentration range for the acid draining acid and water from equipment, and rapidly react-
cooler materials, but additional heat will also be generated. ing to concentration or temperature upsets can help mini-
Acid dilution produces heat, and corrosion rates increase mize hydrogen generation. In addition, ensuring there are
with rises in acid temperature. Corrosion rates therefore effective concentration controls, dilution water interlocks,
anode cathode intensify dramatically during an acid cooler leak. and process alarms will help reduce risk of a hydrogen
(positive) (negative) The same can be said for loss of acid system concen- incident.
tration control–via control loop failure or from an upstream
oxidation reduction steam system leak. As in the cooler leak example described
earlier, the correct response includes quick detection and
Conclusion
electron loss anions electron gain Facilities need to take steps to prevent hydrogen inci-
(1) rapid separation of the water source from the acid as
(negative) dents: develop and drill emergency procedures, conduct
X- X+e cations M++ e M well as (2) a quick de-inventory of the acid plant equip-
operator training focusing on hydrogen awareness, and
(positive) ment. Once the weaker acid is removed from the system,
consider hydrogen for general work or hot work permitting
and the system is re-inventoried with circulating strong
to minimize hydrogen risks.
electrolyte acid, the corrosion rate subsides, and the amount of hydro-
Other steps plants can take include preventing equip-
gen generation returns to more normal levels.
ment failures by implementing a mechanical integrity
Fig. 1: Simplified sketch of electron exchange involved in program, conducting routine turnaround inspections and
hydrogen formation in a sulfuric acid plant. Preventing hydrogen ignition equipment repairs, replacing equipment prior to failures,
The elements needed for a fire are fuel, an oxidant, and and carefully monitoring process conditions. In other
condensation or maintenance of the right acid concentra- an ignition source. The elements needed for an explosion words, the aim is to prevent leaks from occurring in the first
tion in the sulfuric acid plant environment is governed are the same as those needed for a fire, but the fuel and place.
by the plant design and controlled during operation to oxidant must be mixed and located in a confined space. For Safely starting up, operating, shutting down, and main-
minimize the risk of iron (or nickel or chromium) corro- hydrogen to ignite at its lower explosive limit (LEL), the taining sulfuric acid plants are thus the keys to minimizing
sion and resulting hydrogen evolution. Yet there are certain energy required is very low–almost undetectable. the risk of an incident caused by the presence of hydrogen.
baseline levels of corrosion and hence baseline levels of Hydrogen is a very effective fuel and is extremely For more information, visit cleantechnologies.dupont.
hydrogen evolution that occur on a continuous basis. With buoyant and diffusive. Hydrogen will normally flow com or email Chris Salgado at Christopher.Salgado@
good concentration control, this level of hydrogen genera- through an acid plant with the bulk gas and be carried out dupont.com. q

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Feature
Remote controlled robots clean tanks safely

and efficiently
For decades, traditional industrial tank
cleaning methods often included 100%
confined space entry that was unsafe, very
inefficient, and often had unpredictable
results. Even within the past five years,
tank cleaning in the Gulf Coast region
would have involved personnel in orange
jump suits and helmets with lights and
bulky PPE waiting for the atmosphere of
the tank to be tested and approved prior to
entry. However, with new robotic technol-
ogy, that approach has changed allowing
the oil and gas industry to reduce, or, in Robot crawlers fitted with vacuum or articulating arm sub for conventional labor inside
closed spaces.
most cases, completely eliminate human
entry while providing superior cleaning in trial containment such as above ground attachment or an articulating robotic arm
less time at lower cost. that can spray high pressure water or other
storage tanks, piping, sumps, ponds, and
Driven to improve safety, quality,
culvert/ditches. The RCS requires fewer cleaning fluids as dictated by the project.
and efficiency, Ecorobotics developed a
people on site and virtually eliminates the The crawler employs an all-hydraulic sys-
Robotic Cleaning System (RCS). The sys-
need for confined space entry or additional tem for operation, allowing for the clean-
tem was designed, engineered, and built
equipment for the bulk removal process. ing process to proceed in an elevated LEL
in-house after 10 years of research and Manually pushing material to vacuum
environment.
development. Ecorobotics RCS systems The Ecorobotics RCS maneuvers by (above) takes longer than vacuuming
Recently, Ecorobotics performed a material directly.
can safely and remotely remove hazardous using a hydraulically driven track system
project for a fertilizer producer located
and non-hazardous materials from indus- and can be equipped with either a vacuum
in the Southeast United States. The proj- remotely-operated high-pressure directed
ect scope was to remove phosphoric acid flow for cleaning. This portion of the proj-
sludge safely and efficiently. Initially, a ect took approximately 3 days. Next, an H
manway cannon robot, also known as the Series robotic crawler with an articulating
Viper Cannon, was affixed to the tank man- arm attachment was inserted through the
way flange on the roof so that the walls of ground level manway to clean and remove
the tank could be washed without confined the majority of the extremely hard phos-
space entry. This technology utilized a phoric acid solids and liquids from the
tank. A 20,000 psi pump and nozzle were
used to break up the material. The bulk
“
removal process took approximately 41
days. At the request of the client, on the
last shift of the project, confined space
Over “Ecorobotics RCS entry was made to perform a final rinse.

The entire project was concluded in only
50,0 systems can safely 44 days with a total of 3,813 bbl (26 bbl/
Acid Re 00 and remotely remove hr) of material removed.
sis ta
Bricks nt hazardous and non-
For more information, contact Will
IN STOC Putman at [email protected],
K!
hazardous materials Tim Kelly at [email protected], or
Now Manufacturing
and Stocking from industrial visit www.ecorobotics.com. q
Acid Resistant Brick

containment such as
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”
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Feature
Planning for outage ventilation

By: Patrick Ferguson, Technical Project Manager, VIP International Inc.
“Let’s get an air mover on it.” This is a phrase we have must also be considered as multiple bends can lower ef-
all heard time and again during outages. Process-related fective blower capacities. Additional blowers can be used
gases have always presented challenges to operators and in unison to provide the increased capacity if needed. An
maintenance teams alike. They can wreak havoc on out- important point to remember is that any equipment used at
age schedules or worse, put workers and equipment at risk. the manway should not impede access to and egress from
Many factors contribute to the successful ventilation of a the confined space in the event a rescue is required.
work area, particularly when working in confined spaces. Tailoring equipment needs for the duration of an out-
The unique configurations of plant interiors can turn what age is essential to preventing delays. Establishing a plot
seems like an easy solution into a complex undertaking. It is plan of power sources and blowers needed will increase
important that the proper steps are taken to ensure the safety efficiency and ensure that no tasks are overlooked. If an
of workers, keep equipment in operation, and minimize dis- electrical source is unavailable, the use of portable genera-
ruption to outage schedules. tors may be necessary as long as they are positioned where
When planning for outage ventilation, potential pro- engine exhaust cannot affect the work area. Pneumatic
cess gasses must be identified and communicated to af- blowers are also an option when power sources are limited.
fected work groups. Sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide are Electrically powered AC units are an effective way to keep
the obvious offenders in the process, but gases such as NOx temperatures low in the confined space while still providing
may be present due to operating conditions or byproducts of the proper air flow. However, if the entry point is elevated
sulfur, ore, spent sulfuric acid, or weak sulfuric acid. Gases or space is limited, portable fans may be more practical.
that could be introduced to the space should be analyzed as Decontamination: Blowing air in from a bottom manway Radial fans are compact and can move more air in a circular
well. When hot work is performed within a confined space, and out through a top manway can maximize air motion before pushing it outward. Ducts should match the
toxic gases from fluxes or rod coatings can affect the air changes. blower application and should be limited in length so as not
quality. Hexavalent chromium can also become a hazard to reduce the required air flow.
depending on the hot work being performed. Recently, in- There are additional considerations that can assist in
dustry emphasis has been put on hydrogen gas formation the proper ventilation of process vessels during outages. Al-
and its risks throughout the shutdown and outage. Knowing lowing operations enough time to properly blow through
the characteristics of these gases will assist in the creation the system during cooldown can greatly reduce or eliminate
of a ventilation plan and the implementation of respiratory the presence of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide gases. As-
protection for potentially affected workers. sessing high points and ensuring that any engineered relief
Properly ventilating a work area requires a detailed as- valves are in the open position can prevent hydrogen gas
sessment with calculations. Some confined spaces present pockets from forming due to weak acid or iron oxide forma-
challenges due to their size, shape, and internal configura- tion. Quickly removing sulfates can reduce the presence of
tion. Initially, the volume of the space needs to be calcu- NOx under certain conditions. Isolation and blinding proce-
lated. Prints or drawings of vessels can provide a basis to dures can also contribute if there is a known contamination
get some initial measurements, but they need to be verified. source that can be separated from the work area.
Although the size of the space does not dictate the types Even with the preparation and execution of a ventila-
of ventilation needed, it is necessary to calculate the air tion plan, confined space air monitoring and proper respi-
changes per hour (ACH). ACH is how many times per hour ratory protection must be assessed and implemented. Air
the air is completely replaced in the confined space. ACH Tunneling: Tunneling allows for unimpeded access to monitoring is a requirement that confirms the ventilation
numbers vary based on national, state, and local require- a top entry where only one manway is available. plan is working. If ventilation equipment or power fails
ments. If the ACH is not a requirement, it should still be during confined space entry, air monitoring can provide a
established based on the severity of toxics present. Once warning to the affected workers to exit the confined space
the volume and ACH are determined, they can be multiplied safely. Potential toxics and their concentrations will dic-
then divided by 60 minutes to calculate the velocity needed tate respiratory protection requirements. Workers must be
to replace the air. trained on the potential effects of gases, certified to don the
Ventilation plans are not necessarily interchangeable required respirator, and understand the procedures to fol-
when moving from one vessel to another. Oddly shaped or low should levels become elevated. Ultimately, respiratory
configured spaces may require additional airflow capacity protection is a redundancy needed to protect workers from
or duct work to get the proper exchange rate. A standard the unknowns of gas formation.
vertical vessel without internals can be ventilated easily Ventilation remains a vital component to the safety
using the decontamination method where air is pushed in of outage work. Developing and implementing ventilation
through the bottom and out of the top. If a top entry is re- plans will reduce or eliminate risks associated with process
quired to perform work, the tunneling method can be used gases. Arranging for reliable equipment and power sources
where a blower is installed on a bottom manway and ambi- ensures that work can continue safely and uninterrupted.
ent air is naturally brought in through a top manway. Hori- Air monitoring confirms that ventilation plans are success-
zontal vessels such as certain pump tank designs are more ful and alerts workers of any changes to the atmospheres
likely to require the use of ducting for proper air flow. The within confined spaces. While these steps are not as simple
internals of towers, exchangers, economizers, and convert- Short Circuit: Depending on the location, opening as “getting an air mover on it,” they serve as a fundamental
ers will greatly influence the air flow needed for ACH num- additional manways can cause diminished air reminder that we must follow through on our responsibility
bers. If additional manways are open to atmosphere, a short changes and potentially trap gases. to protect workers.
circuit can occur and reduce air flow. The angles of ducts For more information, please visit www.vipinc.com. q

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Wet electrostatic precipitators for superior
Feature
sulfuric acid gas and mist cleaning

By: Gary Siegel, Marketing Director, Beltran Technologies Inc.
A sulfuric acid plant that is down-

stream from any one of a number of
operations, such as metallurigical smelters
and refineries, petrochemical operations,
natural gas processing facilities, spent acid
regenerating plants, electric generating
units, municipal waste incinerators, and
ore mining is not only practicable but also
Doe Run’s Peru operation equipped with
highly profitable. Beltran’s WESP.
This versatile mineral acid is both
the world’s most widely used chemical, a negative charge, propelling even sub-
and the one with the highest production micron-size particulates and acid mists
volume. Its use as both a primary and toward the collection surfaces, where they
intermediate raw material spans hundreds adhere as cleaned gas is passed through.
of industrial processes, especially agricul- The surfaces are cleansed of residues by
tural fertilizer manufacturing, which con- recirculating water sprays. A heated purge-
sumes 70 percent of H2SO4 production. air stream should be used to keep the
This application alone may continue to fuel high-voltage insulators dry, reducing main-
a vigorous global trade in this chemical. tenance costs. Since fine particles have
Sulfur provides both a direct nutritive value little significant mass, they generally pass
for plants, as well as an indirect value as a through scrubbers and other devices, but
soil amendment. It also facilitates a plant’s are captured with remarkable efficiency by
use of the three other major nutrients: nitro- In Zambia, Mopani Copper Mines’ WESP unit from Beltran Technologies. advanced Beltran WESP equipment.
gen, phosphorus, and potassium. Growth in The cool, saturated environment in the
the fertilizer industry, and consequently in able organic compounds, and other con- Beltran Technologies’ advanced WESPs WESP is highly effective on condensable or
the global sulfuric acid trade, is expected taminants. This is necessary for protecting are designed around a multistage system oily compounds, which can elude conven-
to be driven due to the need for more farm downstream components such as catalyst of ionizing rods with star-shaped discharge tional equipment. The continuous aqueous
land for developing countries as their popu- beds from corrosion, fouling, and plugging, points, enclosed within square or hex- flushing process prevents re-entrainment of
lations expand. as well as for preventing the formation agonal tubes which are lined with grounded
particles, sticky residue buildups, and par-
As global trade in sulfuric acid accel- of a “black” or contaminated acid end- collection surfaces. The unique electrode
ticle resistivity. By eliminating the need for
erates, acid plant operators will be under product. Proper gas cleaning also results geometry generates a corona field 4-5
mechanical or acoustical rappers, the cleans-
increasingly intense competition to supply in lower costs for maintenance, operations, times stronger than that of ordinary wet
ing system also minimizes energy costs.
the purest, highest quality product. At the and equipment replacement. or dry ESPs. The multistage charging con-
With very little pressure drop through
same time, operators must remain price Wet electrostatic precipitators figuration also avoids corona quenching
the WESP, gas velocities can be extremely
competitive by achieving maximum cost (WESPs) can vary greatly in design, due to high particle densities, and assures
materials, gas flow rates, durability, and maximum corona field strength with a high, boosting efficiency. Plant engineers
efficiency as they maintain these high lev-
collection efficiency. It is thus important minimum of energy load. can use smaller-scale, less costly equip-
els of purity.
for engineers to recognize the key dif- As flue gas travels through the tubular ment and still achieve superior collection
To remain competitive in price and
ferences among these various systems. array, these intense corona fields induce efficiencies. Other critical features to look
quality, an efficient sulfuric acid manu-
facturing process requires the maximum for in WESP equipment are sophisticated
possible removal from input gas streams electronic controls linked to a close-coupled
of fine particulates, acid mists, condens- gas flow management system. These com-
ponents can squeeze even more efficiency
out of the system by optimizing such oper-
ating parameters as gas velocity, saturation,
temperature, corona intensity, etc.
Forward-thinking industrial plant
operators around the world constantly seek
out and deploy more advanced gas cleaning
technologies throughout their enterprises,
not only to stay ahead of the regulatory
compliance curve, but also to achieve supe-
rior operating performance and to control
maintenance and other costs in a competi-
tive marketplace. In this context, the role
of wet electrostatic precipitators should
continue to grow as an essential primary or
adjunct gas treatment option.
For more information, contact Beltran
Technologies, Inc., at (718) 338-3311 or info@
beltrantechnologies.com;or visit the company
Beltran WESP installation at Anglo Gold’s facility in Brazil. website at www.beltrantechnologies.com. q

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Feature
Acid plant debottlenecking strategies

By: Guy Cooper, P. Eng.; Dr. Andres Mahecha-Botero, P. Eng.; Dr. Werner Vorster, P. Eng.; Neal Londry, E.I.T.; NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd., Vancouver, Canada.
suction pressure), which also improves

Take advantage of your performance. Flow and corresponding
assets capacity increase of 3-7% are possible for
NORAM receives many requests for this ducting reconfiguration. There is a
strategies to increase the capacity of an slight loss of energy efficiency per ton of
acid plant. Each plant has a unique set of sulfur burned because the blower’s heat
debottlenecking solutions which can result of compression now is removed by the
in capacity increases between 10-30% or dry tower acid cooler instead of the waste
even higher. Compared to the cost of a heat boiler, but the increased production
new acid plant, a plant upgrade taking actually results in a net increase in steam
maximum advantage of existing assets is produced compared to that produced
a much more economical approach. And before the upgrade.
if equipment needs to be replaced for Booster blowers designed for full gas
maintenance reasons, so much the better, Fig. 2: NORAM HP™ Low Pressure Drop Saddle. flow and low head, less than 50” W.C. (1250
because the new equipment can be sized mm), are sometimes used for increased
for the target capacity. capacity by supplementing a main blower.
Metallurgical acid plant Blower enhancements They can be located either downstream of
Play to your (SO2) strengths opportunities One may be tempted to go out and an interpass tower (stiffening of the candle
housing shell may be necessary) or take
One of the first things we ask of a purchase a bigger blower to increase gas
Temperature limits for catalysts suction on the air filter and supplement a
client who is looking for more capacity is flow through the plant. A word of caution
restrict SO2 concentration to the first blower taking suction on the dry tower. The
to provide us with the current operating here: pressure drop increases with the
pass to a maximum of about 12% with increased capacity offsets the increased
data, including SO2 concentrations. A square of the flow. So a 20% increase in
standard catalyst, and 13-14% with cesium- flow results in a 44% increase in pressure energy operating cost of a second blower.
plant operating with an SO2 strength to
promoted catalyst operating at a lower inlet drop corresponding to much larger energy
the first converter pass of, say, 10%, could
gas temperature. Smelters with oxygen
achieve a 15% increase in capacity by
enrichment may produce an SO2 gas with
requirements. A large pressure increase High pressure drop sulfur
increasing the gas strength to 11.5% SO2. may cause mechanical challenges with
Of course, emissions and heat exchange up to 30% strength prior to air dilution downstream equipment, in addition to the furnace and boiler?
equipment will need to be assessed and upstream of the acid plant. NORAM has significant price tag for a full-flow, high- For plants where the sulfur furnace
may need upgrades/replacement. Cesium- designed pre-converter systems for such head 200” W.C. (5,000 mm) blower and and boiler experience a high pressure
promoted and recently introduced high- plants, which take a portion of the high drivers. drop, we have the solution for you: A
activity vanadium catalysts make it strength gas flow, dilute it, then convert However, there are some blower furnace and boiler bypass system. With
possible to accommodate increased SO2 two thirds of the SO2 to SO3 which is then techniques that we use for modest increases this ducting arrangement, a slip stream
loadings within the existing converter. removed as acid. The low-concentration in flow and capacity. For a sulfur burning of cold air bypasses the sulfur furnace
Heat removal from the sulfuric acid loop SO2 residue gas is mixed with the high- plant with the blower taking suction on (increasing the gas strength and furnace
can be handled with acid side upgrades. strength gas upstream of the existing the dry tower, rerouting some ducting can temperature), mixes with the hot furnace
More on that later. acid plant. The preconverter system uses allow the blower to take suction on the air gas that bypasses the waste heat boiler, and
standard processing steps found in every filter and then discharge the air into the dry combines with the main process stream
acid plant, including a converter, a gas- downstream of the boiler. A schematic is
Checking the pressure to-gas heat exchanger, and an absorbing
tower. This arrangement has the advantage
of cooler air going into the blower, allowing shown in Fig. 3.
(drops) tower. NORAM has designed pre-converter more air flow for the same horsepower and This simple arrangement gives several
We also ask for recent pressure systems to increase capacity by 20-35%. an increased compression ratio (discharge/ benefits. First off, there is a reduced
surveys. Routine pressure surveys (say, pressure drop which varies to the second
monthly) are one of the best ways to power with flow. For example, a 10%
track plant performance and equipment bypass results in a 21% reduction in the
condition. Typically, measurements are total furnace/blower pressure drop. If you
taken across all gas-side equipment with have a total furnace and boiler pressure
a digital manometer and recorded with drop of 20” W.C. (500 mm), there would be
the production rate, blower rate/rpm, and a pressure reduction of 4.2” W.C. (105 mm)
the SO2 strength. In one plant, we found for the 10% bypass. For a 2,400 TPD acid
an extremely high pressure drop across a plant, this could add 35 TPD of production.
cold gas exchanger due to fouling and the The reduced flow to the sulfur
design. A replacement cold exchanger with furnaces increases the residence time,
a hot sweep feature (see Fig. 1) designed which improves sulfur combustion and
for low pressure drop contributed to that reduces the chances of uncombusted
plant achieving and maintaining a 20% sulfur. The higher temperature improves
increase in capacity. In another plant, the thermal driving force (LMTD) of the
we identified high pressure drops in the boiler, resulting in better heat transfer. The
towers and addressed this by upgrading to furnace refractory needs to be checked that
a low-pressure drop packing (see Fig. 2). it can accommodate the higher furnace
Replacing high pressure drop equipment, temperatures.
even if more capacity is not immediately And as a final benefit, this
required, will often improve overall plant arrangement may permit replacement of the
performance and lower blower energy maintenance-prone jug valve controlling
costs. Fig. 1: NORAM Cold Exchanger with Hot Sweep. the hot furnace gas split with a stainless-

Feature
steel damper controlling a much cooler air/furnace gas
stream.
Upgrades to the acid system

With an increase in gas flow to the acid towers,
more acid flow will often be required, especially for the
interpass tower. An increased flow will keep the acid
concentration and the acid temperature at the bottom of the
tower in the proper range. The good news is that acid side
upgrades are relatively inexpensive compared to replacing
gas side equipment. Changes here depend on the amount
of capacity increase, but can range from simply installing
a larger pump impeller to replacing an acid cooler, acid
pump, and acid piping.
A new acid distributor may be required for the higher
acid flow and if there are blanks on the candle tubesheet, Fig. 3: Schematic of NORAM Furnace Bypass System.
a few more candles may be added to limit pressure drop
increase with the higher gas flow. Fortunately, Brownian and we compare that to the unit cost of acid produced for a way to increase annual acid and steam production. But that
new acid plant. is a topic for another day!
diffusion candles operate in the laminar flow range
Your mileage may vary, but we have seen plants NORAM Engineering and Constructors Limited
and pressure drop only increases linearly with flow. As
increase in capacity by 20-30% economically compared to designs and supplies sulfuric acid plant equipment for
mentioned earlier, consider low-pressure drop packing so
the capital cost/acid production ($/ton) for a new acid plant.
that increases in gas flow do not result in higher tower improving reliability and capacity. Over the past 30 years,
Older plants may have older high-pressure drop equipment
pressure drops. they have performed over 250 acid plant engineering
which provides more opportunities for easier savings.
studies. They offer low-pressure drop cold exchangers with
Newer acid plants often have less maintenance downtime
Your mileage may vary and may require less peripheral equipment to be replaced hot sweep, low-pressure drop packing, and proprietary
How much of a capacity increase makes sense for your as part of the upgrade. furnace bypass systems.
plant? That raises another question: How much do you And if your plant has frequent shutdowns due to For more information, email [email protected];
plan to spend? For a plant study, we rank the cost of each ducting leaks, acid piping leaks, and fouled equipment, or contact C. Guy Cooper at [email protected] or
upgrade option versus the incremental capacity increase, improving reliability with new equipment can be a simple (604) 696-6910. q
Plant Audit
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Product News
Department
all times. Critical situations in which toxic

SensoTech’s LiquiSonic® and environmentally harmful gases could
simultaneously monitors escape can be detected at an early stage by
gas scrubber liquid and LiquiSonic® and countermeasures can be
initiated quickly.
salt in real time The maintenance-free measuring
Environmentally harmful, corrosive, devices from SensoTech GmbH are very
or toxic gases are used in many industrial durable and can be easily integrated into
processes. To protect people and the the process control system. Automated
environment, the treatment of these documentation and various diagnostic
gases is subject to strict regulations, in tools provide a comprehensive analysis
particular the specific purification criteria of the process and can be used for further
a gas scrubber must achieve. Ensuring the improvements. LiquiSonic® reduces
complete conversion of toxic components hazards for the environment and employees
while using scrubbing liquid efficiently is The controller reliably displays concentrations of both scrubbing liquid and salt content. and ensures efficient, time-saving process
often a challenge for process engineers. analysis.
The effectiveness of a gas scrubber depends For three decades, SensoTech GmbH
liquid and the salt in real time. This allows explosion-proof inline measuring system,
on the exact dosage of the scrubbing liquid, has been involved in the development,
exact dosing and adjustment of the washing no intervention in the process is necessary.
for example, caustic soda. manufacture, and sale of inline analysis
To enable an exact determination of liquid, making the washing process much The exact concentration of the scrubbing
systems for processes in liquids. Installed
the concentration of the scrubbing liquid more efficient and safer. Thanks to the liquid and the salt content are available at worldwide, SensoTech’s high-precision and
and the salts, two physical measurands have
“
innovative measuring systems monitor con-
to be combined. Conventional measuring centrations, compositions, property chang-
methods often map only one measurand es or substance transformations directly in
and neglect the influence of the resulting Ensuring the complete conversion of toxic the process. Special calculation methods
salts. In addition, in many cases the process components while using scrubbing liquid efficiently and highly developed sensor technolo-
is monitored in a very time-consuming
is often a challenge for process engineers. gies enable reliable and fast measurement
”
manner by sampling and titration. The results even under difficult process condi-
LiquiSonic® process measuring system tions. For more information, visit www.
analyzes concentrations of both the washing sensotech.com. q
416.444.4880
[email protected] ● www.mercad.com

The latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas
Feature
dewpoint/moisture leak detection

By: Daniel T. Menniti, Director of Business Development, Mississippi Lime/Breen
Since the mid-1980s the sulfuric acid manufacturing point with the Breen probe had similar short term operating
industry has desired a maintenance-free, early indication life and considerable maintenance requirements that made
of moisture ingress (most likely from boiler or economizer the use of traditional continuous acid dew point monitoring
tube leaks) into their sulfuric acid manufacturing process. a failure in the first three months of development.
It was understood that if there was moisture present in the After discussion with industry experts, Breen deter-
process gas, that the acid dew point temperature of the mined that to keep the sensor free of process condensables
gas would increase. So, it was decided that if one could for the long term and provide moisture leak detection, the
measure the acid dew point continuously, producers could probe would have to operate “above dew point cycle.” The
monitor the trends and an increase of acid dew point would above dew point cycle would allow the probe to operate in Fig. 3: Breen-SA Probe normal cycle and check cycle.
indicate a leak, or moisture ingress into the process gas. the duct at a temperature higher than the process gas dew
This desire brought about decades of frustration, point, but low enough to detect an increase, or step change,
while the industry trial and errored an acid dew point meter in process gas dew point. The commercial design for the
technology through various phases of commercial design. Breen-SA Probe can be seen in Fig. 1.
Finally, after multiple attempts, the industry gave up and
the acid dew point meter manufacturer discontinued their
Fig. 4: Leak detection simulation.
product.
In 2016, the industry discovered that there was a sec-
assumed that the air pressure was not powerful enough to
ond manufacturer of acid dew point technology who had
designed a robust system for permanent installation in tra- push sufficient air into the duct.
ditional combustion applications. Breen, part of Mississippi Subsequently, the process engineer put water into
Lime Company, was approached for a solution. the pressure point line and used instrument air to push
The criteria given were “simple”—survive in a stan- that water into the duct. The amount of water added was
dard acid plant process gas condition, without maintenance approximately a gallon. At 13:15 we can see the probe
or failures for a year, and the industry would regard the immediately responded to the event. It was concluded, with
product suitable for use in their applications. Responding a fairly strong certainty, that the probe is very responsive to
to the request from the industry, Breen and the sulfuric acid even small amounts of moisture.
industry collaborated to develop a commercially available There were also other minor responses in the previous
permanently installed sulfuric “acid dew point” monitor. weeks which were believed to have been caused when other
pressure point lines were cleaned out.
The problem Fig. 1: Breen-SA Probe for sulfuric acid manufacturing
Further evidence of response to

plants.
The gas laden with SO3 in the process is kept moisture
free and the only time moisture gets introduced in the gas
is when there is a process upset. Moisture leak detection commercial moisture ingress and leaks
In July 2019, a second and third system were installed
Moisture in the process gas combines with the SO3
which will condense on the process equipment surfaces,
design in another acid plant in the Western United States. One
In the Fall of 2018, Breen installed the commercial SA-Probe was installed at the waste heat boiler outlet and
and is generally indicative of one of the following condi-
design into a sulfuric acid plant in California (Fig. 2). one probe at the final economizer exit (Fig. 5).
tions, among others:
The probe system was allowed to run at the above dew
• Drying tower malfunction
• Contamination in sulfur feed
• Waste heat boiler tube leaks Fig. 2: Breen SA Probe
• Economizer tube leaks installation at J.R. Simplot
• Superheater tube leaks Lathrop plant.
• Sulfur gun steam jacket leaks
The presence of moisture, and therefore weak acid
vapor, in the gas stream is detrimental to equipment health
and can cause extreme corrosion. This is a highly undesir-
able condition and can be potentially hazardous.
A secondary impact of moisture in the process gas Fig. 5: Breen-SA Probe installation points.
can be the formation of hydrogen gas, which can create an
explosion hazard [1].
• SO3+H2O  H2SO4 During start-up operations, this plant experienced a
• Fe+H2SO4  FeSO4+H2 small leak. In Fig. 6, we can see that the Breen-SA Probe
The H2 formed in the previous equations can create detected the leak when it was still very small at about 05:00
point mode, with weekly “Check Cycle” cooling the sensor
an explosion hazard in the presence of O2 and an ignition on June 27th. The first plant DCS indication that there was
to the process gas dew point. The probe cycle and check
source. an issue was much later, at about 13:30 on the 27th, when
cycles are shown in Fig. 3.
the dilution water flow starts to drop indicating the leak is
On January 23, 2019, the plant performed a test to ver-
large enough that less water is needed to maintain the acid
The solution ify that the system would indeed detect a moisture leak. At
concentration balance in the plant.
Since the industry had coined the term “acid dew approximately 10:45 (Fig. 4) we can see a probe response
Clearly, the probe provided almost eight hours advance
point” monitor for a leak detection instrument, Breen when a pressure point line was cleared out with instrument
notice compared to the traditional method of leak detection
attempted a probe with the same design criteria as the prior air. A compressor was then hooked up to the line to pump
at the plant.
attempt. In short, the continuous measurement of acid dew ambient air into the duct; no response was seen, and it was
Continued on page 30

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Feature
Continued from page 28
the plant hesitated to bring the unit offline until the follow- detection test with successful results (Fig. 11).
ing traditional methods indicated a leak: Quoting the customer: “By injecting some small vol-
1 Increase in economizer temperature. umes of water into the duct upstream, the probe responded
2 Condensate in the economizer drains. with a spike in conductivity, whereas none of our existing
3 Indication from the dilution water flow. methods picked up such a small ‘slug’ of moisture. This
was a great achievement in validating early detection in our
plant with the Breen probe, so our next steps would be to
look at making the probe a permanent install and integra-
tion to our DCS.”
Summary
To further support the commercialization of the Breen
SA-Probe, the measurement philosophy has been proven
Fig. 6: Leak detection from Breen-SA Probe vs. dilution effective to detect both large and small moisture leaks,
water flow. consistently responding to moisture ingress into the pro-
cess in real-time and demonstrably quicker than traditional
methods.
Advanced detection of The dew point measurement provides solid trending
“undetectable” leaks of the process gas dew point over time as well as in situ
In our previous Sulfuric Acid Today editorials, one can verification of sensor function through the automatic and
view the leak detection capabilities of the system. The early Fig. 9: Economizer temperature and dilution water flow. periodic system “check cycle” (dew point measurement).
detection of tube leaks was well documented and confirmed As of the date of this publication, the Breen SA-Probe,
by site operations. The same plant referenced earlier had “acid dew point” monitor, has logged over 100,000 hours
Root cause analysis showed that there was a very
run leak free for almost a year, when, subsequently in June of operation, with zero failures of the measurement system.
small leak in the waste heat boiler shell close to the tube
2020, the Breen SA-Probe system indicated a high process Equally important, there has been zero maintenance hours
sheet/shell weld. This small leak was most likely the source on any permanently installed system, outside of probe
dew point at the waste heat boiler outlet and the economizer
outlet systems beginning on June 16th. Multiple dew point of the original moisture ingress and all indications show cleaning and re-installation during a scheduled production
measurements were taken to verify the higher dew points. that the SA-Probe responded to the leak as expected. The train turnaround.
(See Fig. 7, June 14-June 30) leak then propagated into the tube sheet, causing the further Breen attributes this success to the cooperation of the
rise in dew points and conductivity and ultimately (30 days engineers and staff at our various commercial beta sites and
later) condensate was detected in the economizer drain. the industry acceptance of the “above dew point” measure-
ment logic, which provides for continuous detection of
moisture ingress, and periodic measurement of process gas
The latest data available test results dew point measurement.
From May-July, 2021, a new customer had been run-
For more information, visit www.breenes.com. q
ning their system continuously, first measuring dew point
weekly and subsequently shifting to daily measurements,
with no sign of probe fouling (Fig. 10). Footnotes
Subsequently this same plant performed a moisture [1] Information developed and presented by the Hydrogen
Safety Workgroup.
Fig. 7: Progressive increase in dew point. [2] “The Latest in Sulfuric Acid Plant Process Gas Dew
Point/Moisture Leak Detection,” Sulfuric Acid Today, Fall/
Winter 2020, Vol. 27, p. 30-32.
As Fig. 7 shows, from June 16th through July 14th, the
dew point temperatures progressed upwards over time.
References
Finally, around July 16th, the evaporation temperature Daniel T. Menniti, 2020 “Detecting Real-Time Moisture
of the condensate rose above the process gas temperatures Leaks in Acid Plant Process Gas,” Sulfuric Acid Today,
and the condensate could not be evaporated from the sen- 32-33, Spring/Summer 2020, Vol. 26 No. 1.
sors (Fig. 8). Fig. 10: Weekly and daily dew point trends.
Having little experience with the Breen technology, Daniel T. Menniti, 2019 “Detecting Moisture Leaks,”
Hydrocarbon Engineering, 65-67, January, 2020.
Daniel T. Menniti, 2019 “The Real-Time Measurement

of Sulfur Bearing Vaporous Compounds (SO3, Sulfuric
Acid, Ammonium Bisulfate) and its Application for Use
for Process and Environmental Control,” World Pollution
Control Association, 1-2, Summer 2019.
Daniel T. Menniti, 2019 “Process Gas Dew Point/Moisture

Leak Detection Measurement System,” Sulfuric Acid
Today, 28-29, Fall/Winter, 2019.
Fig. 8: Moisture ingress causing high temperature conden- Fig. 11: Small volume water injection into the process gas Daniel T. Menniti, 2017 “Acid Dew Point Measurement,”
sation without evaporation. duct. Hydrocarbon Engineering, 72-74, October, 2017.

THE ART OF ACID PROOFING
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Q U ALITY ACID PROOFING, REFRACTORY, INDUSTRIA L
MASONRY AND FIREPROOFING WORK.
With in-depth engineering support, meticulous craftsmanship and extensive

planning down to the finest details, we’re turning industry into artistry.
VIEW OUR GALLERY OF ACID PROOFING AND OTHE R

REFRACTORY PROJECTS AT SWRREFRACTORY.CO M .
( 2 8 1) 8 2 4 9 3 42 IN FO @S WR - U S . C O M
Clark Solutions: 30 years of continuous
Feature
innovation By: Bruno Ferraro, Victor Machida, and Nelson Clark
This year Clark Solutions celebrated Southern hemisphere. Developed in 2016 and continually opti-
its 30th anniversary. For three decades, Wire mesh mist eliminators, invented mized since, this model lowers pressure
the company has been solving complex 1959 by Dr. Otto H. York, consist of a mesh drop by 35-50% compared to standard
problems for our industry, developing new formed by extremely fine-knitted metal saddles used to enhance tower capacity.
technologies and bringing state-of-the-art fabric that is woven, corrugated, and lay- In 1997, Koch Industries acquired
solutions to customers. ered in such a way as to provide a very high Otto H. York Company and its mother
This article is a retrospective of what surface area and high void fraction. This company Koch-Glitsch and, in 2003, NC
we accomplished and contributed, espe- construction enhances mist elimination by formed a joint venture with Koch-Glitsch
cially for the sulfuric acid market. inertial impaction and direct interception of to manufacture and improve the line of
droplets, while the gas easily bypasses the solutions in mist elimination and mass
Thirty years of continuous wire obstacles imposing low pressure drop. transfer, creating the company Clark-Koch.
By the time NC started this manufac- At that time, the almost 25 year business
innovation ture, high-capacity eliminator models were relationship with MECS came to an end.
Nelson Clark Engenharia (NC) was improved by employing geometric changes
Fig. 5: Largest sulfuric acid towers in
The production of fiberglass Brownian Brazil, by Clark Solutions.
founded in 1991 as the exclusive rep- and multilayer designs with different wire diffusion mist eliminators started in 2005.
resentative in Brazil and Chile of the characteristics. and many improvement ideas that have
These candle-type filters are mostly applied
former Monsanto Enviro-Chem Systems Also, co-knitting wires with extremely in drying, absorption, and heat recovery been implemented over the years.
(MECS) for Sulfuric Acid Products and fine multi-filaments of fiberglass, PTFE, towers, due to the massive presence of fine Today, Clark Solutions FiberBed®
Technologies. PET, and other thermoplastic or thermoset
(<1 µm) mist generated by condensation fully automated manufacturing allows a
Early in 1992, the company started a polymers radically increased particle col-
chemical reaction. wide variety of arrangements with unique
successful business relationship with Otto lection surface area, which, in turn, pro-
H. York Company Inc., which culminated To efficiently collect such fine drop- capabilities such as fiber variable traction
vided a similar increase in mist elimination
in 1995 with the licensing to NC of the lets, mechanisms that take advantage (density) control, continuous pressure drop
efficiency.
rights and technology for the manufac- of Brownian diffusion phenomena are monitoring, and different winding patterns
Wire mesh 100% capture efficien-
ture of Otto H. York’s wire mesh mist required. When particles are this small, (parallel or angled), along with multiple
cy improved from 10-micron particles to
eliminators. At that time, Clark Solutions they follow a random pattern generated diameters, heights, and bed thicknesses.
2-micron particles due to these develop-
was, and still is, one of the very few wire by the fluid in which they are suspended. In 2018, Clark Solutions introduced an
ments.
mesh mist eliminator manufacturers in the They follow their path until they collide innovative DrySeal™ device that seals the
Today, Clark Solution’s MaxiMesh® is
with the glass fibers from the mist elimi-
widely used in the sulfuric acid, petroleum,
and chemical industries, where its applica- nators. The grid that holds the fibers can
tion has provided important lessons learned be made of different materials depending
and technological enhancements to the on the application.
product’s development. Clark’s candle filter manufacturing
By 1999, NC Engenharia devel- started with vast accumulated experience
oped the capacity to manufacture ceramic
saddles for absorption and drying tow-
ers. Mass transfer media also progressed
toward more effective contact area and
Fig. 1: Co-knitted MaxiMesh® model shows lower pressure drops, two often compet-
the increased surface area. ing factors. Due to acid concentrations and
temperatures in the process, acid-resistant
ceramic packing was most commonly used.
The packing’s geometric complexity was
limited to what is mechanically robust and
manufacturable in large-scale. Fig. 6: Testing high efficiency trough-type
One of the first widely known packing acid distributors.
is the cylindric Pall Rings, a geometrical
design dating back to 1907. It has seen
surface area improvements Lessing Rings
and Cross Partition Rings. Other popular
ceramic packing is the Berl Saddle from
the 1930s, which in the 1950s evolved to
saddles, a very successful geometry that
Fig. 3: FiberBed® products can be
became the industry standard for sulfu- customized to meet specific requirements.
ric acid tower applications. Of course,
there were also many improvements to
the geometry and ceramic techniques that
increased the packed bed efficiency and/or
lowered pressure drop.
Using a quality controlled automated
process, Clark Solutions produces its stan-
dard MaxiSaddles® and its very successful
Fig. 2: MaxiSaddle® (top) and novel MaxiSaddle® BPC line, which is a more Fig. 4: Clark Solutions’ innovative Fig. 7: SAFEHR BFW® heat recovery
MaxiSaddle® BPC ceramic packing. open, low pressure drop ceramic packing. DrySeal™ system.

Feature
Fiberbed® without the need for the danger- water allows control over any eventual by the presence of the intermediate inert ers, thermal equipment such as boilers,
ous and unsafe filling of seal cups. instrumentation leakage in the closed cir- CS fluid. This operation is considerably economizers, and superheaters can be used.
In 2006, a major step was taken when cuit. The closed circuit also prevents con- safer due to the following fluid character- This enables more control and capacity for
the first Clark Solutions complete absorp- tamination of the steam lines with acid and istics: the steam system.
tion tower was manufactured in Brazil, can be applied to heat not only boiler feed Inert to acid and water: the fluid is Considering that there is no interme-
with all the internals, for application in sul- water, but also other plant utilities. totally inert to acid (in any concentra- diate absorption tower, the SO2 oxidation
furic acid plants. Since then, dozens of sul- Clark Solutions SAFEHR® technology tions) and to water. Also, the fluid is non- reaction is less favorable to the SO3 side.
furic acid process towers and several tower was also created and developed by 2017. corrosive, non-toxic, non-flammable and Thus, the overall conversion on the cata-
internals were designed, manufactured, and The system principle shares similar con- non-oxidant (so it can be used and stored lytic reactor is lower. To compensate for
installed, with continuous improvement in figuration philosophy to SAHFER BFW®, in non-blanketed environments). In addi- the excess SO2, a tail gas scrubbing system
materials and design for mist eliminator, introducing an intermediate cooling system tion, it is non-miscible in water and in is placed upstream from the stack. The
liquid distributor, ceramic packing and for the hot acid. However, the process acid, allowing proper separation through scrubbing solution is selected according
packing support, corrosion protection, and takes a different approach, to recover SO3 coalescers with fluid density staying in to the client’s needs, as it can yield a high
brick lining technologies. absorption energy from sulfuric acid to between water and acid operating tempera- value co-product. Here are some examples:
In 2007, Clark Solutions developed generate steam. tures. • Using ammonia (NH3) to retrieve
and installed its first trough and downcom- The complete system is basically com- With heat recovery safety issues ammonium sulfate (NH4)2SO4
er distributor for sulfuric acid. This product posed of a two-stage absorbing tower with addressed, the plant can provide its best • Using caustic soda (NaOH) to retrieve
was born from vast company experience in integrated pump booth, an acid pump, specific steam generation. To illustrate, sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) and/or bisulfite
mass transfer in large refinery operations and the SAFEHR® system. The circulating conventional simple absorption plants have (NaHSO3)
where distributions need to be extremely absorption acid is concentrated above 99% approximately 1.6 ton steam/ton sulphuric • Using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to
homogeneous. Metal work know-how has and SO3 is admitted in the lower packing acid yield, while a simple absorption with retrieve diluted sulfuric acid
evolved within the company, and the ben- The option of hydrogen peroxide
deck where the reaction heats the acid to SAFEHR® has a 1.8 ton steam/ton sulph-
efits of high silicon and other sulfuric acid is normally used when no co-product is
200-225°C. The gases leaving the lower uric acid yield. The first SAFEHR plant has
resistant alloys are present in our products. desired, and the diluted sulfuric acid is sent
absorption stage pass through a collector been in service for two years and, despite
In 2015 the joint venture was termi- to the sulfuric acid circulation tank as dilu-
tray and goes to an upper packing deck, an occasional hot heat recovery acid leak,
nated, and the company name changed to tion water. Regenerative SO2 technologies
reducing gas temperature, absorbing resid- the plant has remained in service until
Clark Solutions. In the same year, Clark can also be employed when no co-product
ual SO3, and collecting mist. the scheduled maintenance turn-round, as
Solutions worked on a new technology is needed.
The hot concentrated acid in the bot- promised by the technology.
called SAFEHR BFW®. It focused on In 2020, Clark Solutions created its
tom of the tower is pumped to a heat In recent years, Clark Solutions devel-
heat recovery in absorption towers, where first plant with such concepts. This plant
exchanger in the SAFEHR® circuit which oped a concept of small modular plants
normally the SO3 absorption heat reaction is designed as a single absorption plant
has a refrigerating inert CS fluid in closed to cater to small sulfuric acid demands.
is wasted on cooling water. Designed to with an oxygen peroxide tail gas scrub-
loop. The inert fluid circulating in the This required reducing equipment size and
partially recover this lost heat, SAFEHR bing system. The plant uses sulfuric acid
enclosed system heats boiler feed water or quantity. The solution is a simple absorp-
BFW® consists of two plate heat exchang- to extract high value minerals from raw
other fluids in this circuit with capacity to tion/scrubbing plant since it eliminates
ers in between a closed water loop, trans- material, and the plant can use calcination
generate mid-pressure steam. both the gas-gas heat exchangers and the
ferring heat from the hot absorption acid exhaust gases as a SO2 source as well as
Thus, SAFEHR® technology is a new intermediate absorption tower. These are elemental sulfur. It has a max capacity of
in one heat exchanger and heating boiler
approach to sulfuric acid heat recovery huge and costly equipment, representing 135 MTPD for pure sulfur burning and 150
feedwater in the other heat exchanger,
processes that addresses its major concern, a significant portion of the CAPEX and MTPD capacity for sulfur and calcination
using the closed loop water as medium.
which is safety. Hydrogen incident risks OPEX. The reason being the pressure drop gas combination. The sulfuric acid plant
The design increases energy efficiency
may render conventional heat recovery sys- that the gas stream needs to overcome is equipped with SAFEHR® technology
with limited risk to boiler feed water,
tems unattractive. However, in SAFEHR® when having both present. system, validating Clark Solutions patented
which can debottleneck and improve
operation, any leakage scenario is covered To replace the gas-gas heat exchang- process in industrial scale.
steam generation capacity.
This indirect heating of boiler feed
Conclusion
As our clients’ requirements and envi-
ronmental needs increased, we increased
efficiency and safety for our previous and
new products and projects. Over time,
Clark added more products to its portfolio
and accumulated more knowledge, to offer
better and more innovative solutions to its
clients. This close relationship built strong
Fig. 8: This SAFEHR® schematic shows ties with the sulfuric acid market, espe-
how the heat recovery system performs. cially in Brazil. Today, Clark Solutions is
known not only for internals, but also for
delivering entire towers, piping, and all
sorts of engineering projects and services.
Our job is far from over, as invest-
ments in research and development are still
very strong. All efforts are made to better
understand where the process can be opti-
mized and find creative ways to implement
these ideas.
Fig. 10: Clark Solutions’ first sulfuric acid SAFEHR® plant at Kalium Mining in Dores do For more information, visit www.
Fig. 9: A SAFEHR system ready to go.
®
Indaiá, Brazil. clarksolutions.com. q

CONFERENCE PREVIEW
Department
Sulfuric Acid Today to host

2022 Sulfuric Acid Roundtable in Texas
COVINGTON, La.—Plans are underway to resume duction, and safety. The event includes: two scheduled friendly competitions: a Golf Tournament at
Sulfuric Acid Today magazine’s Sulfuric Acid Roundtable • A keynote address, “Sulfuric acid market review and The Woodlands Resort and a Shooting Range Tournament
(SAR) technology conference, which will take place April outlook for 2022,” presented by Fiona Boyd of Acuity at the Saddle River Range in Conroe, Texas. The fun will
4-7, 2022 in The Woodlands, near Houston, Texas. The Commodities. kick off on Monday, April 4.
event will be the first in-person roundtable in three years, • Informative technical papers from the industry’s top As always, there will be plenty of networking oppor-
since SAR 2019 in Orlando. Traditionally held every other technology and service companies. tunities with hospitality receptions and group dinners each
year, the 2021 roundtable was cancelled because of the • Several panel discussions for plant personnel to share evening. The event will wrap up with a bus plant tour of
Covid-19 pandemic. For everyone’s safety, SAR 2022 will knowledge or lessons learned about many important topics, Eco Services’ Houston acid plant.
follow CDC recommendations for proper social distancing including: Acid Towers, Acid Resistant Linings/Bricks/ For plant personnel interested in registering for the
during the course of the two-and-a-half day meeting. Mortars/Refractory, Converters, Heat Exchangers, Process event, please visit www.acidroundtable.com. For vendors
As in past years, the roundtable brings sulfuric acid Gas Monitoring/Analayzers, Sulfur Handling/Storage/Pit and technology providers interested in participating,
producers and leading technology companies together to Maintenance, and Safety Issues and Incident Reviews. please contact Kathy Hayward at [email protected]
discuss the best practices for maintenance, operations, pro- Participants can also enjoy some rejuvenation time with or (985) 807-3868. q
Fiona Boyd of Acuity Commodities will kick off the 2022

Sulfuric Acid Roundtable with a keynote address that will The 2022 Sulfuric Acid Roundtable will consist of several
focus on the review of the sulfuric acid market and outlook panel discussions for plant personnel to share knowledge The 2022 Sulfuric Acid Roundtable will wrap up with a bus
for 2022. or lessons learned with the participants. plant tour of Eco Services’ Houston acid plant.
Save the Date! The 20

Acid R22 Sulfuric
oundta
ble
Sulfuric Acid
will of
fer :
2022
— Keyno
te Ad
Global S dress on the
ulfuric A
— Produ c
cing Plan id Market
Discussio t Panel
— New T ns & Pre
ech sentation
s
— Safety nology Develop
Issues & ments
R O U N D T A B L E Incident
Reviews
April 4-7, 2022

The Woodlands, Texas (Houston)
Sponsored By:
Sulfuric Acid
T O D A Y
Industry’s Premier Event for

Networking & Sharing Best Practices™
Register On-Line Today! www.acidroundtable.com

Winter 2021

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Covering Best Practices for the Industry

Nyrstar’s Port Pirie

Acid plant debottlenecking strategies

The latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas

Making everyday life better, safer, cleaner

Learn more on www.cleantechnologies.dupont.com

Nyrstar’s Port Pirie

FROM THE PUBLISHER

the latest in sulfuric acid plant process gas

DESIGN & LAYOUT 20 Planning for outage ventilation

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3502

SUBSCRIPTIONS 32 Clark Solutions: 30 years of continuous innovation

PAGE 4 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021 PAGE 5

Acid Piping Technology — The world leader

Nyrstar’s Port Pirie multi-metal smelting facility in South Australia

By: April Smith, Editor, Sulfuric Acid Today

Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021 PAGE 7

Oxidation NOHSO4 (l) + H2O2 (l) → NO2HSO4(l) + H2O (l)

Reduction NO2HSO4 (l) + H2NSO3H (l) → N2O (g) + 2H2SO4(l)

Overall NOHSO4 + H2O2 + H2NSO3H → N2O + H2O + 2H2SO4

PAGE 8 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

           

6638 Pecue Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70817 • 225.753.8575 • VIPinc.com

Sulfuric acid prices riding

high into 4Q21 Fiona Boyd,

PAGE 10 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

Learn more with one of our experts

Gas treatment in sulfur melting plants

THE ACID PROOF BRICK

Anzeigen stills SulphuricAcidToday.indd 1 22.09.2021 12:24:34

PAGE 14 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

NORAM is a world leader

● Stainless Steel Converters

● Pump Tanks ● Radial Flow Gas Heat Exchangers

● Anodically Protected Acid Coolers

sulfuric acid group products & services

Hydrogen-generation and ignition in sulfuric

PAGE 16 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

THE MARKET ASKED FOR IT...

REAL-TIME MOISTURE LEAK

THE LOW MAINTENANCE. HIGH RELIABILITY ACID DEW POINT PROBE.

Breen is a Mississippi Lime FGT Business Unit Company.

Remote controlled robots clean tanks safely

Over “Ecorobotics RCS entry was made to perform a final rinse.

Acid Resistant Brick

For unmatched service and support,

Planning for outage ventilation

PAGE 20 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

clarksolutions.com | Follow us: Solutions

sulfuric acid gas and mist cleaning

A sulfuric acid plant that is down-

PAGE 22 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

Our family of four Quattro Catalysts Birth date:

To find out more,

Acid plant debottlenecking strategies

suction pressure), which also improves

PAGE 24 Sulfuric Acid Today • Fall/Winter 2021

Upgrades to the acid system