Removing sulphur oxides from a fluid stream

1. A process for removing sulphur oxides from a fluid stream comprising

a) providing a non-aqueous absorption liquid containing at least one hydrophobic amine, the non-aqueous absorption liquid being incompletely miscible with water;

b) treating the fluid stream in an absorption zone with the non-aqueous absorption liquid to transfer at least part of the sulphur oxides into the non-aqueous absorption liquid and to form a sulphur oxide-hydrophobic amine-complex;

c) causing the non-aqueous absorption liquid to be in liquid-liquid contact with an aqueous liquid whereby at least part of the sulphur oxide-hydrophobic amine-complex is hydrolyzed to release the hydrophobic amine and sulphurous hydrolysis products, and at least part of the sulphurous hydrolysis products is transferred into the aqueous liquid;

d) separating the aqueous liquid from the non-aqueous absorption liquid.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous absorption liquid is caused to be in liquid-liquid contact with the aqueous liquid by condensing water vapour which is present in the fluid stream to be treated.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the absorption liquid is caused to be in liquid-liquid contact with the aqueous liquid by contacting the non-aqueous absorption liquid with extraneous water.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein separating the aqueous liquid from the non-aqueous absorption liquid occurs by at least one of decanting and centrifuging.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein formation of the sulphur oxide-hydrophobic amine-complex involves oxidation of the sulphur oxides.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein oxidation is effected by molecular oxygen present in the fluid stream to be treated.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the sulphur oxide-hydrophobic amine-complex comprises a sulfamic acid structural moiety.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the sulphurous hydrolysis products comprise at least one of sulphurous acid and sulphuric acid.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein at least part of the separated aqueous liquid is brought into fluid-liquid contact with the treated fluid stream.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein at least part of the water contained in the aqueous liquid is volatilized by the fluid-liquid contact with the treated fluid stream.

11. The process according to claim 9 , wherein non-aqueous absorption liquid components entrained by the treated fluid stream are transferred at least in part into the aqueous liquid.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the spent aqueous liquid is subjected to liquid-liquid phase separation to obtain an aqueous phase and an entrained non-aqueous absorption liquid component phase.

13. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the treated fluid stream is directed to a scrubbing zone in which the treated fluid stream is brought into fluid-liquid contact with the aqueous liquid.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the fluid stream is passed upwards through a tower including a lower portion containing the absorption zone and an upper portion containing the scrubbing zone.

15. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid stream additionally comprises acid gases other than sulphur oxides, and an acid gas-loaded non-aqueous absorption liquid is obtained in step b), the process comprising

e) regenerating the loaded non-aqueous absorption liquid to expel the acid gases at least in part and obtain a regenerated non-aqueous absorption liquid, and directing the regenerated non-aqueous absorption liquid to step b).

16. The process according to claim 15 , wherein separating the aqueous liquid from the non-aqueous absorption liquid comprises subjecting the loaded non-aqueous absorption liquid to liquid-liquid phase separation to separate the aqueous liquid therefrom.

17. The process according to claim 15 , wherein separating the aqueous liquid from the non-aqueous absorption liquid comprises subjecting the regenerated non-aqueous absorption liquid to liquid-liquid phase separation to separate the aqueous liquid therefrom.

18. The process according to claim 15 , wherein regenerating the loaded non-aqueous absorption liquid occurs by pressure release, heating, stripping or any combination thereof.

19. The process according to claim 15 , wherein the fluid stream has an acid gas partial pressure of less than 2 bar.

20. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid stream is an exhaust gas from a combustion process.

21. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic amine is selected from 2-fluorophenethylamine, 3-fluorophenethylamine, 4-fluorophenethylamine, 2-fluoro-N-methylbenzylamine, 3-fluoro-N-methylbenzylamine, and 4-fluoro-N-methylbenzylamine, 2-fluorobenzylamine, 3-fluorobenzylamine, 4-fluorobenzylamine, 4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,11,11,11-heptadecafluoroundecylamine, 2,3-difluorobenzylamine, 2,4-difluorobenzylamine, 2,6-difluorobenzylamine, 3,4-difluorobenzylamine, 3,5-difluorobenzylamine, 2-trifluormethylbenzylamine, 3-trifluormethylbenzylamine, and 4-trifluormethylbenzylamine.

22. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the non-aqueous absorption liquid comprises a non-aqueous diluent.

23. The process according to claim 22 , wherein the diluent is selected from 2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoropentanol (“OFP”); 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropanol (“TFP”); 2,2,3,3,3-pentafluoropropanol (“PFP”); 2,2,3,3,4,4-hexafluorobutanol (“HFB”); 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (“TFE”); nonafluoro-1-hexanol; 4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,7-nonafluoroheptanol; 1,1,3,3-hexafluoro-2-phenyl-2-propanol; and mixtures thereof.