Hydrogen Sulfide Adsorption by Iron Oxides and Their Polymer Composites: A Case-Study Application to Biogas Purification

Abstract

An experimental study of hydrogen sulfide adsorption on a fixed bed for biogas purification is proposed. The adsorbent investigated was powdered hematite, synthesized by a wet-chemical precipitation method and further activated with copper (II) oxide, used both as produced and after pelletization with polyvinyl alcohol as a binder. The pelletization procedure aims at optimizing the mechanical properties of the pellet without reducing the specific surface area. The active substrate has been characterized in its chemical composition and physical properties by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and N2 physisorption/desorption for the determination of surface area. Both powders and pellets have been tested as sorbents for biogas purification in a fixed bed of a steady-state adsorption column and the relevant breakthrough curves were determined for different operating conditions. The performance was critically analyzed and compared with that typical of other commercial sorbents based on zinc oxide or relying upon specific compounds supported on a chemically inert matrix (SulfaTreat®). The technique proposed may represent a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to commercial sorbents in conventional desulphurization processes.

Insights on Cryogenic Distillation Technology for Simultaneous CO2 and H2S Removal for Sour Gas Fields

“…However, the low adsorption capacity of commercial solid adsorbents needs a large amount of adsorbent bed while frequent disposal of saturated adsorbents is one of the major environmental concerns. The adsorbent-filled fixed bed reactors for H 2 S capture may operate according to two different mechanisms, either physisorption or chemisorption [52]. Zinc and copper oxides supported on porous adsorbent silica have attracted recent attention for H 2 S capture due to the potential for the combination of sulfidation thermodynamics and active metal oxides [53,54].…”

Hydrogen Sulphide Sequestration with Metallic Ions in Acidic Media Based on Chitosan/sEPDM/Polypropylene Composites Hollow Fiber Membranes System

“…From the point of view of chemical strategy ( Figure 1 , Table 1 and Figure S1 in the Supplementary Material ), hydrogen sulfide can be captured in basic solutions of certain metals or with the help of their oxides (when the oxidation state of sulfur stays 2-) [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Another strategy consists in oxidizing sulfur from hydrogen sulfide to higher oxidation states (4+ or 6+) and recovering it as sulfuric acid or sulfites, but mostly as sulfuric acid and sulfate [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Study on biochar as desulfurizer for SOFC application

“…It is well-known that H 2 S present in biogas at concentrations of 500-3,000 ppm [4] is a corrosive gas that can cause malfunction of engine systems [5,6], and therefore desulfurization is an indispensable process generally performed by using iron oxide pellets [3,4,7]. However, in SOFC operation, even after the process, if a trace H 2 S (from sub-ppm to several ppm) is still remaining in biogas, it can cause the deactivation of Ru-loaded catalyst for fuel reforming [8] and Ni for cermet anode [9][10][11].…”