Process for removing sulphur compounds from process streams
A method for removing sulphur compounds from a process stream by contacting the process stream with an aqueous solution containing glycolaldehyde as the predominant compound.
1. A method for removing sulfur compounds from a process stream comprising a step of contacting the process stream with an aqueous solution in which 10-99 wt % of organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde, and 1-30 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is pyruvaldehyde, wherein the aqueous solution does not contain oil.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 50-95 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde.
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein glycolaldehyde is present in a weight amount of 1-40 times higher than pyruvaldehyde.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 0.5-5 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glyoxal.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein glycolaldehyde is present in a weight amount of 2-40 times higher than glyoxal.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 0-25 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is formaldehyde.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein one of the sulfur compounds is hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S).
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises a molar ratio of sulfur in the process stream to glycolaldehyde in the aqueous solution in a range of 1:1 to 1:5.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the process stream is a fluid selected from the group consisting of natural gas, synthesis gas, LPG, crude oil, diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, and water.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting of the process stream with the aqueous solution comprises injecting the aqueous solution into wellheads, downholes or oil platforms.
11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 0.5-10 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is acetol, and wherein 0.5-10 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glyoxal.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution is free of formaldehyde.
13. A method for removing sulfur compounds from a process stream comprising a step of contacting the process stream with an aqueous solution in which 10-99 wt % of organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde, and 1-30 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is pyruvaldehyde, wherein 0.5-10 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is acetol.
14. A method for removing sulfur compounds from a process stream comprising a step of contacting a process stream with an aqueous solution in which 10-99 wt % of organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde, and 1-30 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is pyruvaldehyde, wherein production of the aqueous solution comprises fragmentation of carbohydrates to produce a fragmentation product.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the carbohydrates comprise a sugar selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, fructose, xylose, mannose, arabinose, ribose, galactose, lactose, tagatose, and combinations thereof.
16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the carbohydrates are fed to the fragmentation in an aqueous solution.
17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the fragmentation product is subjected to a purification step.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the purification step comprises removing formaldehyde from the aqueous solution.
19. The method according to claim 14 , wherein fragmentation of the carbohydrates comprises thermolytic fragmentation.
20. A sulfur scavenger obtainable by creating an aqueous solution in which 10-99 wt % of organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde and 1-30 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is pyruvaldehyde,
wherein production of the aqueous solution further comprises fragmentation of carbohydrates to produce a fragmentation product for use in the sulfur scavenger,
and wherein the sulfur scavenger, based on the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution, comprises:
10-99 wt % glycolaldehyde,
1-30 wt % pyruvaldehyde,
0-10 wt % acetol,
0-5 wt % glyoxal, and
0-25 wt % formaldehyde.
21. The sulfur scavenger according to claim 20 , wherein the aqueous solution is free of formaldehyde.
22. A method of scavenging sulfur in a fluid, comprising creating an aqueous solution in which 10-99 wt % of organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde and 1-30 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is pyruvaldehyde,
wherein production of the aqueous solution further comprises fragmentation of carbohydrates to produce a fragmentation product for use in a sulfur scavenger,
and adding the sulfur scavenger to a fluid selected from the group consisting of natural gas, synthesis gas, LPG, crude oil, diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, and water,
wherein the sulfur scavenger comprises:
10-99 wt % glycolaldehyde,
1-30 wt % pyruvaldehyde,
0-10 wt % acetol,
0-5 wt % glyoxal, and
0-25 wt % formaldehyde.
23. A sulfur scavenger obtainable by, creating an aqueous solution in which 10-99 wt % of organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is glycolaldehyde and 1-30 wt % of the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution is pyruvaldehyde,
wherein production of the aqueous solution further comprises fragmentation of carbohydrates to produce a fragmentation product for use in the sulfur scavenger, and wherein the sulfur scavenger, based on the organic dry matter content of the aqueous solution, comprises:
10-99 wt % glycolaldehyde,
1-30 wt % pyruvaldehyde,
0.5-10 wt % acetol,
0.5-10 wt % glyoxal, and
0-25 wt % formaldehyde.