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Introducción
Mercury contamination in naphtha feedstocks poses one of the most critical challenges in modern petrochemical processing. Even trace amounts of mercury can cause catastrophic damage to downstream equipment, particularly aluminum heat exchangers in liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and catalyst poisoning in reforming units.
Activated carbon technology, specifically sulfur-impregnated activated carbon, has emerged as the industry standard for mercury removal from naphtha streams. This specialized adsorbent combines the high surface area of activated carbon with the chemical reactivity of sulfur compounds, creating a powerful mercury capture system that achieves removal efficiencies exceeding 99.9%.
The Mercury Problem in Naphtha Processing
Sources of Mercury Contamination
- Natural occurrence in crude oil (0.1-200 ppb)
- Formation water and produced water
- Corrosion of mercury-containing equipment
- Condensate from gas processing
- Geological formations in oil reservoirs
It will cause the following risks:
- Aluminum amalgamation in heat exchangers
- Catalyst poisoning in reformers
- Stress corrosion cracking
- Equipment embrittlement
- Product contamination
Sulfur-Impregnated Activated Carbon
Why Sulfur Impregnation?
While standard activated carbon can physically adsorb mercury to some degree, the capacity is limited and performance is unpredictable. Sulfur impregnation transforms activated carbon into a highly selective, high-capacity mercury removal medium through chemical bonding mechanisms.
The Mercury-Sulfur Affinity
Mercury has an extremely high chemical affinity for sulfur, forming stable mercury sulfide (HgS) compounds. This thermodynamic favorability is the foundation of sulfur-impregnated carbon technology. The sulfur acts as a chemical trap, converting mobile elemental mercury into immobile, non-volatile mercury sulfide within the carbon matrix.
Sulfur impregnated carbon parameters
| Parámetro | Typical Range |
| Sulfur Content | 5-20 wt% |
| Mercury Capacity | 5-15 wt% Hg |
| Tamaño de las partículas | 1.5-4 mm (8×20 mesh) or customized |
| Densidad aparente | 450-550 kg/m³ |
| Dureza | >95% |
| Superficie | 800-1200 m²/g |
| Note：Activated Carbon can be impregnated with different acid material and impregnation content accoridng to specific conditions. | |
The Manufacturing Process
1. Base Carbon Selection
High-quality activated carbon with optimized pore structure is selected. Coconut shell carbon is preferred for its hardness and micropore distribution.
2. Sulfur Impregnation
Activated carbon is impregnated with sulfur compounds through various methods:
- Wet impregnation: Soaking in sulfur-containing solution
- Vapor deposition: Exposure to elemental sulfur vapor at elevated temperature
- Chemical treatment: Reaction with sulfur-containing chemicals (polysulfides, thiosulfates)
3. Heat Treatment
Thermal processing at 200-400°C distributes sulfur throughout the pore structure and converts it to active forms. Temperature and duration are carefully controlled to optimize sulfur dispersion.
4. Quality Control & Testing
Sulfur loading, mercury capacity, and mechanical properties are verified through rigorous testing protocols.
Conclusión
Sulfur-impregnated activated carbon represents the gold standard for mercury removal from naphtha feedstocks in the petrochemical industry. Its unique combination of high surface area, optimized pore structure, and chemically reactive sulfur sites delivers unmatched mercury removal efficiency and capacity.