Ion Exchange Reclaimers for Amine Cleaning & Purification

The operation of sidestream purification units (reclaimers) makes it possible to maintain a constant concentration of active amine in the treating solution and prevent the accumulation of corrosive heat-stable salts and amine degradation products.

Secondary amines (DEA and DIPA) and MDEA, a tertiary amine, could be reclaimed by ion exchange because these amines decompose at atmospheric distillation temperatures.

Reclaiming of secondary and tertiary amines is usually using mobile or permanent units, while primary amines are reclaimed as a part of normal operation. Amine reclaiming should be considered when the heat stable salt content is greater than 10% of the active amine concentration.

Ion Exchange for Amine Solution Purification

Ion exchange is the reversible exchange of ions between a liquid and a solid in which there is no substantial change in the solid.

The use of ion exchange for amine reclaiming, commercially called the HSSX® process, has a cation resin bed for removing sodium ions followed by an anion resin bed.

Sodium is usually the only cation requiring removal, while the most significant anions in amine reclaiming are chloride, thiocyanate, acetate, formate, thiosulfate, and sulfate. After sodium removal in the cation bed, the anion resin bed removes anions which are easy to remove from solution, but difficult to regenerate (possibly sulfate, thiosulfate, and thiocyanate).

Advantages of ion exchange are low energy usage, no further degradation of the amine during reclaiming, and removal of only the solution contaminants.

GP GasPack distribute tailor-made Ion Exchange Reclaimers from MPR Services (MPR). The HSSX® ion exchange process technology developed by MPR remove heat stable salts