Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations cowski on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Sulphur ignition temperature

Status
Not open for further replies.

RogerH

Petroleum
Feb 6, 2003
71
I have been searching (in vain) for a correlation between oxygen content and ignition temperature for sulphur. In particular, for sulphur condensed in the reactor (on and in the catalyst) of a Claus reactor.
If a run-away take place one can extinguish the "fire" with nitrogen or steam (acc. to design). The nitrogen at this site used, can contain up to 0.4 mole% oxygen.In other places I worked we have used cryogenic nitrogen, so this have never been an issue.
Oxygen can and will react with the sulphur but the main question is at which temperature does this take place? Is there a risk at "run-away" conditions (i.e. at upper operating temperature in the 1st reactor) that we can support a combustion with oxygen containing nitrogen or not?
One can easliy find ignition point for sulphur with normal air but I haven't sofar been able to see a e.g curve/table for the relationship between oxygen content and ignition temperature for sulphur.
If anybody "out there" do have any information on the subject, I would appreciate some enlightment on the issue.
Thanks
 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

Sulfur burning furnaces for acid production normally run 05-1.0% normal oxygen outlet concentration. So I'd say you could support some combustion at that low a concentration.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor