Simultaneous absorption of CO2 and H2S into aqueous blends of N-methyldiethanolamine and diethanolamine.

Removal of CO2 from gaseous streams by absorption with chemical reaction in the liquid phase is usually employed in industry as a method to retain atmospheric CO2 to combat the greenhouse effect. A broad spectrum of alkanolamines and, more recently, their mixtures are being employed for the removal of acid gases such as CO2, H2S, and COS from natural and industrial gas streams. In this research, simultaneous absorption of CO2 and H2S into aqueous blends of N-methyldiethanolamine and diethanolamine is studied theoretically and experimentally. The effect of contact time, temperature, and amine concentration on the rate of absorption and the selectivity were studied by absorption experiments in a wetted wall column at atmospheric pressure and constant feed gas ratio. The diffusion-reaction processes for CO2 and H2S mass transfer in blended amines are modeled according to Higbie's penetration theory with the assumption that all reactions are reversible. A rigorous parametric sensitivity test is done to quantify the effects of possible errors in the pertinent model parameters on the prediction accuracy of the absorption rates and enhancement factors. Model results based on the kinetics-equilibrium-mass transfer coupled model developed in this work are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results of rates of absorption of CO2 and H2S into (MDEA + DEA + H2O).