Desulfurization of city gas using silver nitrate impregnated beta-zeolite and various types of activated carbon

PETR 119

Chang Hyun Ko, chko@kier.re.kr1, Hirn-Ill Song, chko@kier.re.kr2, Jong-Ho Park, jongho@kier.re.kr1, Sang-Sup Han1, Hee-Tae Beum, htbeum2, and Jong-Nam Kim, jnkim@kier.re.kr1. (1) Chemical Process Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 71-2 Jang-dong Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-343, South Korea, (2) Separation Process Research Center, Korea Institute of Energy Research, 71-2 Jang-dong Yuseong-gu, Daejoen, 305-343, South Korea
For the easy detection of pipe-line leakage in gas supply system, odorants consisting of sulfur compounds, such as tetrahydrothiophene, tert-butylmercaptane, must be added in city-gas. These compounds must be removed prior to reforming process in order to protect reforming catalysts and fuel cell electrodes. In this report, we prepared adsorbents, which have selectivity on sulfur compounds, by impregnation of silver nitrate on beta zeolites (AgNO3/BEA) and various types of activated carbon (AC). The sulfur adsorption capacity of AgNO3/BEA increased as the loading amount of AgNO3 increased. The increase of adsorption temperature also caused drastic decrease of sulfur adsorption capacity. The sulfur adsorption capacity of AC was dependent on the physical properties of AC, such as surface area and pore size. The adsorption capacity of AC also decreased as the temperature increase. The adsorption mechanism of sulfur compounds in city-gas on adsorbents used in this study, is expected to be physical adsorption.