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Foaming, amine carry-over and increasing chemical consumption commonly occur in amine gas treating units when solid contamination is not adequately controlled. This case study describes how on-line mobile filtration using absolute rated high flow cartridges helped a fertilizer plant improve amine quality, stabilize CO2 removal performance and reduce operating losses without shutting down the unit.
What causes foaming and performance loss in amine units?
Foaming issues in amine, Benfield and glycol units are frequently linked to uncontrolled solid contamination. Conventional nominally rated filters may allow fine particles to pass through or fluctuate in performance over time.
As a result, suspended solids can remain in circulation, contributing to unstable operation and repeated chemical intervention.
How can on-line filtration improve amine solution quality?
To address the solids contamination issue without interrupting production, a mobile filtration skid was installed on a side stream of the amine circuit. The skid was equipped with absolute rated high flow filter cartridges with validated and reproducible performance.
The agreed operational objective was to reduce total suspended solids in the amine solution to below 5 ppm while keeping the unit on-line.
What were the operating conditions for the mobile filter skid?
During the depollution campaign, the mobile filtration system operated under the following conditions:
- Nominal flow rate of 60 m3 per hour
- Amine temperature between 75°C and 78°C
- Filter change-out differential pressure of 1 barg
- Line pressure between 4 and 7 barg
The skid was connected using flexible hoses adjacent to the existing filtration system, with flow controlled through an integrated valve.
How was the filtration strategy adjusted over time?
The depollution campaign applied progressively finer absolute rated cartridges as amine quality improved:
- Initial clean-up using 15- and 10-micron high flow cartridges
- Further polishing using 10- and 4.5-micron high flow cartridges
As total suspended solids levels decreased, cartridge replacement intervals increased. Following process upsets or shutdown events that temporarily raised solids levels, coarser cartridges were reintroduced to re-establish stable filtration conditions.
What results can be achieved by reducing suspended solids in amine units?
At the start of the campaign, total suspended solids measured approximately 236 ppm. After six weeks of on-line filtration, solids concentration was reduced to 2 ppm, meeting the targeted cleanliness requirement.
Observed operational outcomes included:
- Around 50% reduction in antifoam chemical consumption
- Elimination of amine carry-over
- Reduction of off-spec final product from seventy tons per day to zero
Internal estimates indicated that improved product quality, reduced chemical use and lower maintenance demands generated significant annual cost savings.
Why are mobile filtration skids used in chemical processing units?
Maintaining low and stable solid contamination levels is critical for reliable operation of amine, Benfield and glycol units. Absolute rated high flow filtration provides consistent solids removal that supports process stability and foaming control.
Mobile filtration skids allow depollution to be conducted on-line without a shutdown. Once target cleanliness is achieved, the system can be disconnected or operated until a permanent absolute filtration solution is installed.
Summary
This case study shows how on-line mobile filtration helped restore stable operation of an amine unit at a fertilizer plant. By lowering suspended solids to low ppm levels, the plant improved CO2 removal performance, reduced chemical consumption and minimized production losses without disrupting operations.