My question is related with high sulphur content in LPG from crude distillation.
In one of our refineries we have detected high sulphur content in LPG from crude distillation. The scheme is as follows: Crude distillation - Gas concentration unit - Debutanizer - Amine absorber - Merox extractive. The high S content is mainly due to high dimethylsulphide (DMS) and dimethyldisulphide (DMDS). We measure high DMS and DMDS both at the entry and outlet of the amine absorber and LPG Merox. We have also seen some unexpected behaviour with these species: DMDS increase through the amine plant (DMDS higher in the outlet than in the inlet) and decrease in the Merox unit. The same with DMS. But sometimes we have also observe that DMDS decrease in the amine plant (??)
My questions are:
- What could be the origin of DMS and DMDS (synthetic / heavy crudes, slops processing...)?.
DMDS could be re-entry sulphur in Merox, but we have observe it in the inlet of amines and Merox (It seems that both compounds come with the crude)
- Could be DMDS come from oxidation of methylmercaptan in the topping, Gascon or amines (where there is not Merox catalyst) if oxygen is present in the LPG?
- If DMDS is in the crude, according to its boiling point it should end in the heavy light / heavy naphtha. Has anyone observe high DMDS in LPG in his refinery?
- Could DMS and DMDS increase or decrease in the amine plant or Merox? (I do not think so). Are these compunds partially soluble in NaOH or could be removed in the sand filter?
- DMDS could also come from the circulating NaOH in Merox plant, if quality is not good (high concentratrion of disulphide in NaOH)? What is the normal or recomended concentration of disulphides in regenerated NaOH?
- What could be the alternatives to remove these compounds? I expect that nothing can be done in amine / Merox, these compounds are not reactive.