A solvent and method for removing carbon dioxide from a gaseous mixture flow with high carbon dioxide partial pressures are disclosed. The solvent includes a secondary or tertiary amine, an amine activator, a physical solvent (e.g., thioalkanol), and a carbonate buffer. The solvent contains less than about 60% by weight of water and is in a single liquid phase.

There is an absorbent mixture usable for the removal of sour gases from gas mixtures. The mixture has at least one organic base having a pK.sub.b (in water) less than or equal to 3.2; at least one alcoholic solvent of general formula R(OH).sub.n having a boiling temperature above or equal to 100° C. at ambient pressure, wherein R is a linear or branched saturated alkyl group having a number of carbon atoms between 2 and 20 and n is a whole number varying between 1 and 20; an aprotic polar solvent having a dielectric constant ε at 25° C. greater than or equal to 30, a viscosity μ at 25° C. less than or equal to 14 cP, preferably less than or equal to 12 cP; and a boiling temperature at normal pressure equal to or above 130° C. There is also a process for the removal of sour gases using the absorbent mixture.

Capture of hydrogen sulfide from a gas mixture may be accomplished using an aqueous solution comprising an amine. Certain sterically hindered amines may selectively form a reaction product with hydrogen sulfide under kinetically controlled contacting conditions and afford a light phase and a heavy phase above a critical solution temperature, wherein the hydrogen sulfide may be present in either phase. Upon separation of the light phase from the heavy phase, processing of one of the phases may take place to remove hydrogen sulfide therefrom. Recycling of the amine to an absorber tower may then take place to promote capture of additional hydrogen sulfide.

The present invention relates to a method for the production of hydrogen. Hydrogen is used in many different chemical and industrial processes. Hydrogen is also an important fuel for future transportation and other uses as it does not generate any carbon dioxide emissions when used. The invention provides for a process for producing hydrogen comprising the steps of partially oxidizing a hydrocarbon to obtain a synthesis gas, providing the synthesis gas to a reactor in which carbon monoxide is converted to carbon dioxide, removing the carbon dioxide to obtain hydrogen. The carbon dioxide is used in a chemical process and/or stored in a geological reservoir.

A process for treatment of gas mixtures containing acid gas, for the removal of said acid gas from the gas mixtures. The process has (A) an absorption step performed on a gas mixture containing acid gas by means of a solvent system containing at least one liquid absorption solvent for removing from the gas mixture the acid gas contained therein and forming a lean gas mixture, from which at least part of the acid gas have been removed, and an enriched solvent containing the acid gas and (B) a regeneration step, in which the enriched solvent is subjected to a gas/liquid separation step by a flash process to be separated from the absorbed acid gas and to produce an acid gas flow and a regenerated solvent, which is recirculated to the absorption step. The solvent system contains at least one liquid absorption solvent selected from switchable ionic liquids.

The present invention is directed to the removal of mercury from a gas phase by injecting a scavenger solution into the gas phase.

There is an absorbent mixture usable for the removal of sour gases from gas mixtures. The mixture has at least one organic base having a pK.sub.b (in water) less than or equal to 3.2; at least one alcoholic solvent of general formula R(OH).sub.n having a boiling temperature above or equal to 100° C. at ambient pressure, wherein R is a linear or branched saturated alkyl group having a number of carbon atoms between 2 and 20 and n is a whole number varying between 1 and 20; an aprotic polar solvent having a dielectric constant E at 25° C. greater than or equal to 30, a viscosity μ at 25° C. less than or equal to 14 cP, preferably less than or equal to 12 cP; and a boiling temperature at normal pressure equal to or above 130° C. There is also a process for the removal of sour gases using the absorbent mixture.

A process for selectively removing hydrogen sulphide relative to carbon dioxide from a gaseous mixture containing at least hydrogen sulphide H.sub.2S and carbon dioxide CO.sub.2, includes a step of contacting the gaseous mixture with an absorbent solution including at least one amine, water, and at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 thioalkanol. A use of the absorbent solution for selectively removing hydrogen sulphide relative to carbon dioxide from a gaseous mixture containing at least hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide, is disclosed. Disclosed is a use of at least one C.sub.2 to C.sub.4 thioalkanol as an additive in an absorbent solution including at least one amine, and water, for increasing the selectivity of the absorbent solution for the removal of hydrogen sulphide relative to carbon dioxide from a gaseous mixture containing at least hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide.

The invention relates to a method for separating chlorine from a gaseous anode outlet stream mass flow of an electrochemical cell reactor. In a first aspect, the method makes use of an absorption step, wherein an anode outlet stream mass flow of the electrochemical cell reactor is exposed to an organic solvent being essentially immiscible with water for achieving an exergy-efficient separation of chlorine and hydrogen chloride. In a further aspect, the method makes use of absorption step, wherein the anode outlet stream mass flow is exposed to an ionic liquid, wherein the hydrogen chloride is dissolved in said ionic liquid, thereby forming a gas flow containing essentially chlorine and a solution mass flow comprising the ionic liquid and the hydrogen chloride. The hydrogen chloride is desorbed from the solution mass flow in a desorption step. In another aspect, the method makes use of a distillation step, wherein the anode outlet stream mass flow is separated at a static pressure of at least 2 bar for an exergy-efficient separation.

The present invention is directed to the removal of mercury in a gas dehydration process using thermally table chemical additives.