A comprehensive review on control and mitigating the foam formation in amine-based solvents

Abstract

Amine solvent processes are often confronted with the problem of foaming, which can lead to reduced amine efficiency in H2S and CO2 absorption. To this end, it is crucial to investigate the causes of foaming in amine systems and develop a procedure to effectively combat this problem. According to this research, the main causes of foaming in amine solutions are hydrocarbon condensate, suspended solids, amine degradation products, corrosion inhibitors and operating parameters. To prevent foaming in the scrubber, it is important to use filter coalescers, activated carbon, and precoat filters that can remove solid particles and hydrocarbon mists from the feed gas and amine solution. It is also recommended to maintain the amine inlet temperature at 5–10 °C above the dew point of the feed gas to prevent the hydrocarbons from condensing in the scrubber. Foaming can be significantly influenced by unsaturated fatty acids even in small amounts of 10 ppm in the amine solution. Acetic acid and octanoic acid are also notable amine degradation byproducts that can reduce foam volume by 25% and 23%, respectively. On the other hand, piperazine and bicine are other amine byproducts that can significantly impact the foam breaking time by 467% and 344%, respectively. To prevent amine degradation, it is recommended to maintain the temperature of the amine at 125–130 °C in the stripper and at 40–45 °C in the scrubber. To effectively manage and control foaming in amine solutions, a comprehensive procedure is advised to control and mitigate this issue. Lastly, future areas of research have been identified to address the problem of foam in amine systems.