Separating Gases: HCl, NH3, SO2 & N2

  • Thread starter katchum
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In summary, when you have a mixture of HCl, NH3, SO2 and N2 gases, you would separate these gases by bubbling them through solutions of H2SO4, NaOH and CaOH2.
  • #1
katchum
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When you have a mixture of HCl, NH3, SO2 and N2 gases. How would you separate these gases?


HCL and NH3, when perfectly dry, apparently do not react. Even the tiniest amounts of water vapor make them react and then you obtain solid NH4Cl. This solid I would filter electrically.

Separation of these 4 gases:

NH3 + HCl react, giving a solid. But HCl or NH3 may remain, if their amounts are not precisely balanced. Next, bubble the remaining mix through H2SO4: Any excess NH3 will be absorbed, the rest is bubbling through. Of course, you separated the NH3, but not as free gas anymore.
Next, bubble through a solution of NaOH. Both SO2 and HCl are captured. N2 is bubbling through.
Finally, add excess dilute H2SO4 to the solution with NaOH/SO2/HCl and heat to near boiling. All SO2 is driven off, while hardly any HCl is driven off. The problem here is, I haven't separated the gases, I just put them all in water and threw them in the sea...So the end product is water with ions from: Cl-, SO42-, Na+. Of course you could boil this solution to get remove H2O then boil it to recuperate H2SO4 and then you get salt. Also, the SO2 that is repelled can be used to make H2SO4 with O2 combustion.

Now, what about using CaO or CaCO3 as wet scrubber? I've read somewhere CaO would react with 2 HCl to form CaCl2 and water. Also CaO and SO2 reacts to CaSO3. I'm not sure at which temperature this occurs... Problem is, the slurry is a real mess and you can't recuperate any of it or am I wrong?

There's also this one: using Zeolite as molecular sieve you can get rid of SO2, HCl and water vapor. Again a solution of molecules that needs to be taken care of.

And a bit weird: When you only have HCl and SO2 in N2 you could decrease the temperature to -20 to make liquid SO2. How about that? Then you could recuperate HCl by bubbling it through water.

Apparently you could also just burn it all up and make fertilizer with HNO3, H2SO4. But I think this isn't an option when the concentrations aren't that high...

So all these alternatives, which one is really the best...

PS: Now you use H2SO4 to get rid of NH3. Maybe it is better to turn SO2 into H2SO4 with combustion with O2. So you don't need to buy H2SO4 all the time. The problem is: would HCl react at this high temperature? An alternative is using a selective solvent to capture HCl and then desorbing it to have pure HCl. The SO2 would then be pure and you can make H2SO4 from it to reflux it back to NH3. But I don't know if there is a solvent that selects HCl more than SO2...
 
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  • #2
Are you looking for "clean" gases? Or, just separate "sinks" for each component?
 
  • #3
Those concentrations of HCl, SO2 and NH3 are low. So I think just separating them from N2 is the goal. But if there is an efficient way to recuperate any of it, it's better.

I would really think NH3 + H2SO4 then, CaCO3 + HCl and then CaOH2 + SO2 would be the best solution.

The CaSO4 and CaCl2 could be dumped as waste.

Note: the absolute main goal is that the air does not exceed the emission standards of VLAREMII.
 
  • #4
Anything wrong with water scrubbing?
 
  • #5
Yeah, SO2 is not really reacting good without alkaline solution scrubbing.

I'm talking about:

54 kg/h HCl
47 kg/h SO2
15 kg/h NH3
maximum: 1000 m^3/h

1-2 tonnes SO2 or HCl a day, is that worth separating?
 
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1. What is the purpose of separating gases?

The purpose of separating gases is to isolate different gases from a mixture for various applications. This can include purifying gases for industrial processes, separating specific gases for medical purposes, or extracting valuable gases for commercial use.

2. How is gas separation achieved?

Gas separation is typically achieved through various physical or chemical processes such as distillation, adsorption, membrane separation, or cryogenic separation. These processes exploit the different physical and chemical properties of the gases to separate them from each other.

3. Why is HCl, NH3, SO2, and N2 often separated together?

HCl, NH3, SO2, and N2 are commonly separated together because they are typically found in the same industrial or commercial processes. Separating them allows for more precise control and use of each gas, as well as preventing any unwanted reactions or contamination.

4. What are the properties of HCl, NH3, SO2, and N2 that make them suitable for separation?

HCl, NH3, SO2, and N2 have different boiling points, densities, and chemical reactivities, making them suitable for separation through processes such as distillation or adsorption. They also have different uses and applications, so separating them allows for more efficient and targeted use of each gas.

5. Are there any environmental concerns with separating these gases?

While there may be some environmental concerns with the production and use of certain gases, proper gas separation techniques can help minimize any potential negative impacts. It is important to follow regulations and protocols to ensure safe and responsible gas separation practices.

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