Removal of sulfate from solvent solutions using an anion exchange resin

1. A process for selectively removing and recovering sulfur dioxide from a sulfur dioxide-containing source gas, the process comprising:

contacting a feed gas stream comprising the source gas in a sulfur dioxide absorber with a buffered aqueous absorption medium comprising a salt of a polyprotic carboxylic acid, thereby absorbing sulfur dioxide from the feed gas stream into the absorption medium and producing an exhaust gas from which sulfur dioxide has been removed and a sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor comprising aqueous absorption medium and sulfur dioxide absorbed therein;

heating the sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor in an absorption liquor stripper to desorb sulfur dioxide from the sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor and thereby produce a regenerated aqueous absorption medium and a sulfur dioxide-enriched stripper gas;

recirculating regenerated aqueous absorption medium to the sulfur dioxide absorber for further absorption of sulfur dioxide from further flow of the feed gas stream, wherein divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities accumulate in the aqueous absorption medium recirculated between the absorption liquor stripper and the sulfur dioxide absorber; and

contacting an anion exchange feed stream comprising at least a portion of the aqueous absorption medium recirculated between the absorption liquor stripper and the sulfur dioxide absorber with an anion exchange resin, thereby selectively removing divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities from the anion exchange feed stream to produce a treated aqueous absorption medium from which impurities have been removed and an anion exchange resin charged with impurities removed from the anion exchange feed stream, wherein the anion exchange feed stream is acidified prior to contact with the anion exchange resin to convert at least a portion of the polyprotic carboxylic acid salt therein to the corresponding acid.

2. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the buffered aqueous absorption medium comprises a salt of a polyprotic carboxylic acid, the polyprotic carboxylic acid being able to undergo a plurality of dissociations each having a pKa value, wherein at least one of the pKa values is from about 3 to about 10 at 25° C., or from about 4 to about 7 at 25° C.

3. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the aqueous absorption medium comprises a metal salt of a polycarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid and mixtures thereof.

4. The process as set forth in claim 3 wherein the aqueous absorption medium comprises a metal salt of malic acid.

5. The process as set forth in claim 4 wherein the aqueous absorption medium comprises sodium malate.

6. The process as set forth in claim 4 wherein the molar ratio of bimalate salt to malate salt in the buffered aqueous absorption medium fed to the absorber ranges from about 0.5 to about 2, or from about 0.7 to about 1.5.

7. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anion exchange resin is a weak-base anion exchange resin.

8. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities selectively removed by the anion exchange resin comprise sulfate (SO 4 2− ) anions.

9. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anion exchange feed stream is acidified by addition of an acidifying agent having a pKa value lower than the lowest pKa value of the polycarboxylic acid prior to contact with the anion exchange resin.

10. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anion exchange feed stream is acidified by addition of an acidifying agent selected from the group consisting of sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, and combinations thereof prior to contact with the anion exchange resin.

11. The process as set forth in claim 10 wherein the acidifying agent comprises sulfurous acid.

12. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anion exchange feed stream is acidified to a pH value such that at least about 50%, at least about 75%, or at least about 95% of the total amount of the polyprotic carboxylic acid absorbent present in the acidified anion exchange feed stream is converted to the acid form.

13. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anion exchange feed stream is acidified to a pH less than about 4, less than about 3, less than about 2.8, or less than about 2.5, from about 1 to about 4, from about 1.5 to about 3, from about 2 to about 3, from about 2.1 to about 2.8, from about 2.1 to about 2.5, or from about 2.1 to about 2.3 prior to contact with the anion exchange resin.

14. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the charged anion exchange resin is regenerated by contacting the charged anion exchange resin with a strong base to remove divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities and produce a regenerated anion exchange resin and a waste stream comprising divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities.

15. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the charged anion exchange resin is regenerated by contacting the charged anion exchange resin with a caustic solution to remove divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities and produce a regenerated anion exchange resin and a waste stream comprising divalent sulfur oxyanion impurities.

16. The process as set forth in claim 14 wherein regeneration of the charged anion exchange resin comprises contacting the charged anion exchange resin with wash water before and/or after contacting the charged anion exchange with the strong base solution.

17. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the anion exchange feed stream comprises at least a portion of the sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor removed from the sulfur dioxide absorber.

18. The process as set forth in claim 14 wherein the molar ratio of divalent sulfur oxyanion species to anions of the polyprotic carboxylic acid salt absorbent in the total effluent discharged during regeneration of the anion exchange resin is at least about 10:1, at least about 20:1, at least about 30:1, at least about 40:1, at least about 50:1, at least about 75:1, at least about 100:1, at least about 150:1, or at least about 200:1.

19. The process as set forth in claim 14 wherein the weight of divalent sulfur oxyanion species to the total weight of divalent sulfur oxyanion species and anions of the polyprotic carboxylic acid salt absorbent (water free basis) recovered during regeneration of the anion exchange resin is greater than about 90%, greater than about 95%, greater than about 97%, greater than about 98%, or greater than about 99%.

20. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the buffered aqueous absorption medium contacted with the feed gas stream further comprises an oxidation inhibitor.

21. The process as set forth in claim 20 wherein the oxidation inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, p-phenylenediamine, hydroquinone, glutathione, hydroquinone monoethyl ether, salts thereof, and mixtures thereof.

22. The process as set forth in claim 20 wherein the oxidation inhibitor is ascorbic acid or a salt thereof.

23. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the sulfur dioxide-enriched stripper gas comprises water vapor and the process further comprises:

withdrawing regenerated absorption medium from a liquid outlet of the absorption liquor stripper and a primary sulfur dioxide-enriched stripper gas effluent from a vapor outlet of the absorption liquor stripper;

condensing water from the primary sulfur dioxide-enriched stripper gas effluent by indirect transfer of heat from the primary sulfur dioxide-enriched stripper gas effluent to a cooling medium in a primary stripper gas cooler/condenser to thereby produce an aqueous sulfur dioxide-bearing condensate and a sulfur dioxide-containing vent gas; and

combining at least a portion of the sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor removed from the sulfur dioxide absorber with an acidifying agent selected from the group consisting of sulfurous acid and/or sulfur dioxide obtained from the aqueous sulfur dioxide-bearing condensate, the sulfur dioxide-containing vent gas, and combinations thereof to acidify the anion exchange feed stream.

24. The process as set forth in claim 23 further comprising contacting the aqueous sulfur dioxide-bearing condensate exiting the primary stripper gas cooler/condenser with steam in a condensate stripper to produce a stripped condensate and a condensate stripper gas effluent containing water vapor and sulfur dioxide; and

condensing water from condensate stripper gas effluent by indirect transfer of heat from the condensate stripper gas effluent to a cooling medium in a secondary stripper gas cooler/condenser to thereby produce a second aqueous sulfur dioxide-bearing condensate and a sulfur dioxide-containing product stream;

wherein at least a portion of the sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor removed from the sulfur dioxide absorber is combined with an acidifying agent selected from the group consisting of sulfurous acid obtained from the second aqueous sulfur dioxide-bearing condensate, sulfur dioxide obtained in the sulfur dioxide-containing product stream, and combinations thereof to acidify the anion exchange feed stream.

25. The process as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising contacting the feed gas stream with water in a saturator upstream of the sulfur dioxide absorber with respect to feed gas flow, thereby increasing the humidity of the feed gas stream introduced into the sulfur dioxide absorber and producing an aqueous effluent comprising sulfurous acid exiting the saturator; and

combining at least a portion of the sulfur dioxide-enriched absorption liquor removed from the sulfur dioxide absorber with at least a portion of the aqueous effluent exiting the saturator to acidify the anion exchange feed stream.

26. The process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the process further comprises:

contacting a cation exchange feed stream comprising at least a portion of the aqueous absorption medium recirculated between the absorption liquor stripper and the sulfur dioxide absorber with a cation exchange resin, thereby selectively removing metal ion impurities from the cation exchange feed stream to produce a treated aqueous medium from which metal impurities have been removed and a cation exchange resin charged with metal impurities removed from the cation exchange feed stream.