Acid Collection Vessel

[atmengr]

All,

This a request for suggestions on available equipment for my idea. Hopefully I just don't know the availability and all of the experience in these forums can recommend something or have some other ideas...

While draining and decontaminating equipment in a sulfuric acid alkylation unit, a lot of 90-98% sulfuric acid is gathered in buckets that are deposited into an acidic sump which is neutralized and pumped out. We're looking for a way to transport this acid from the equipment to the sump (or another location) without having to carry it in buckets, which is dangerous. We also would like to reduce the acid vapors that result from depositing through the grating on the sump.

The idea that we have come up with is to get a rolling cart with a large mouth that buckets can be poured into, or that hoses can be dropped into. The vessel on the cart would be resistant to corrosion from this acid concentration, which can include some water. The second part of the cart would be a small pump that we could use to pump the contents of the vessel into the acidic mdo vessel in the unit, which would mean keeping the acid in a closed system rather than depositing into the sump.

I'm looking for a company that provides a finished product of this vessel or the vessel/pump set. I have seen similar things for lube oil transport or soap transport. The concerns that I have with trying to develop this within our site are pressure (vacuum) protection during pumpout, vessel rating requirements, backflow prevention, and constructability.

I'll also take any suggestions or observations outside of my requests. I'm just starting to think about the solution for this and am open to all ideas...

Thanks!
atmengr

 

[EmmanuelTop]

Having closed acid drain system is the most practical and safe solution - I still remember this issue from my backdays while I was working in petroleum refinery.

It sounds very strange that you have manual "transfer" of spent H2SO4... Is this Stratco unit?

All points where sulfuric acid is expected should be connected to a common acid drain system, ending in the neutralization sump (usually a concrete underground basin). Neutralization is executed with spent caustic - also from alkylation unit - within 3 compartments in the sump, equipped with recycle pumps and adequately designed pH control/neutralization system.

Look at DuPont website (Stratco is a division of DuPont) for further information related to H2SO4 safety concerns:

http://www2.dupont.com/Clean_Technologies/en_US/assets/downloads/Personnel_Related_FAQs.pdf

http://www2.dupont.com/Clean_Technologies/en_US/assets/downloads/Equipment_FAQs.pdf

http://www2.dupont.com/Clean_Technologies/en_US/assets/downloads/Regulatory_FAQs.pdf

http://www2.dupont.com/Clean_Technologies/en_US/tech_info/stratco_tech.html

Best regards,

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

 

[atmengr]

Let me clarify that this is not the practice for the majority of draining or decon. activities, this is for draining of certain components in the unit that either aren't tied into the amdo system or for which the amdo system does not drain adequately. Certain pumps, meters, c/v's, etc. Our amdo system is tied to a neutralization sump which functions well for the acid that travels there through the amdo system.