Tag: Sulphuric Acid

Storm Uri which blanketed the southern states of the US with snow, and led to widespread power outages in Texas, has had a major impact upon US Gulf Coast and Southern-Midwest refined products supply. Most Gulf Coast refineries were shut down or forced to operate at reduced rates. IHS Markit estimated that more than 5.2 million bbl/d of Gulf Coast capacity and 730,000 bbl/d in PADD 2 was impacted by the winter weather at its height, and close to 20% of lower 48 US natural gas production was shut-in in the first half of February. A drop in crude oil production of between 2.2 and 4 million bbl/d was estimated.

Automatic identification and optimum online monitoring using sonic velocity measurements can now be used to determine the concentration of both sulphuric acid and oleum.C. Kahrmann and T. Knape of SensoTech report on a new user-friendly method of measurement providing a significant step towards automated process control.

All acid towers eventually require replacement. In this article, K. Sirikan, A. Mahecha-Botero et al of NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd discuss two recently executed acid tower replacement projects. The first project involved the replacement of a brick-lined tower by an alloy acid tower for a sulphur burning plant in North America. The second project involved the replacement of a brick-lined acid tower with a NORAM designed brick-lined tower for a smelter off gas acid plant in South America. The impacts of various design considerations on acid tower replacement projects are compared, including in-situ replacement versus a new location; brick-lined versus alloy shell, and selection criteria for mist eliminators.

Meena Chauhan, Head of Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid Research, Argus Media, assesses price trends and the market outlook for sulphur.

Copper major Freeport-McMoRan is reportedly on verge of finalising a $2.8 billion deal with China’s Tsingshan to build a copper smelter in Weda Bay, Indonesia. The Indonesian government said that the companies were aiming to conclude negotiations by the end of March. It also said that most of the financing will be borne by Tsingshan, with Freeport possibly only needing to provide funding for 7.5% of the total project cost. The smelter would have a copper concentrate input capacity of 2.4 million t/a.

The coronavirus outbreak necessitated a ‘virtual’ CRU Sulphur + Sulphuric Acid conference last year, held in November 2020.

Meena Chauhan, Head of Sulphur and Sulphuric Acid Research, Argus Media, assesses price trends and the market outlook for sulphur.

Selecting the right catalysts for the SO2 converter in a sulphuric acid plant has always been about balancing expenses, gains, and compliance. With increasing demands for sustainability and in challenging economic times, operators need to adjust their plants to get even more from less. This has led to market demand for new catalytic solutions that offer better productivity and a lower climate footprint, all at the lowest cost possible. Catalyst design and formulations continue to evolve with Haldor Topsoe, DuPont Clean Technologies and BASF all adding new types of sulphuric acid catalysts to their portfolios.

The global pandemic and new wave of lockdowns in some regions continue to pose a level of uncertainty to oil demand and in turn sulphur recovery. There are positive signs in the macro economic picture on the back of the vaccine rollout but significant question marks remain.

Metal markets are used to ups and downs, and, as we discuss elsewhere in this issue, this year has seen more than most, mainly thanks to the virus that is still keeping us indoors – as I write this, the UK has just moved back into a second national ‘lockdown’. However, this year has seen the fortunes of one metal in particular simply rise and rise – nickel.