CO2 absorption section

After the steam catalytic cracking, the product stream is cooled down to 60°C then flows into the CO2
absorption column where it is contacted with aqueous sodium hydroxide at 1.5bar

Since CO2 is more soluble.

The reaction rate and capture efficiency is strongly dependent on the NaOH concentration in
the Na(2)CO(3) production range, but is constant in the NaHCO(3) production step, irrespective
of the NaOH concentration. The amount of CO(2) absorbed in the solution is slightly less than
the theoretical value, which is ascribed to the low trona production during the reaction and the
consequent decrease in CO(2) absorption in the NaOH solution. (Yoo M.)

Reaction 1: 2NaOH(aq) + CO2(g)  Na2CO3(aq) + H2O(l)

Reaction 2: Na2CO3(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)  NaHCO3(aq)

However the Gibbs free energy of reaction 2 is much smaller than that of reaction 1, and the
reaction momentum is very small. Therefore the reaction rate of reaction 2 is very slow
compared reaction 1 and at the reaction conditions, very little NaHCO3 is produced.

Stripping unit

The Na2CO3 produced from the absorption column is reduced to NaOH and CO2 by Increasing
the temperature in the stripping column with ceramic packings to about 300 to 550°C.

The Na2CO3 breaks down and the regenerated NaOH is recycled into the absorption column
while the CO2 is purged.

Dehydration section

The gas stream from the absorption column is counter-current contacted with
Tetraethylene glycol (TEG) which has very high affinity for water in a packed column. A
typical contact tower is made up of carefully arranged levels containing moisture-
free or “lean” liquid TEG. The gas is introduced via an inlet at the bottom of the
contact tower and rises through it while being in constant contact with glycol fluid
at various levels. Any moisture within the gas is pulled out of it as it rises to the top
of the column, where an outlet channel awaits to conduct the newly dried gas to
the de-thanizer. While this occurs, the glycol solution contained within the contact
tower becomes “rich” as it absorbs moisture necessitating its regeneration. While
dry glycol is being fed into the process by one inlet, wet glycol is being removed via
another outlet and channeled to a regeneration process.
The process of reformulating lean glycol begins when “wet” glycol is channeled into
a flash separator which removed accumulated water vapor, particulate impurities,
and oils. These contaminants are channeled to storage tanks for later discharge.
Impurity-free glycol is moved to a reboiler unit.
The reboiler separates the absorbed water from the glycol by distillation. Water
boils at 212 F, while the boiling point of glycol is 545 F. Triethylene glycol will begin
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to degrade at 404 F, so the distillation process is maintained between 212 F and

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400 F (nigen.com). Any residual water within the glycol is eliminated as steam, and
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the “lean” or dry glycol is now ready to be returned to the contact tower for further
gas dehydration cycles.

De-ethanizer column

It is a continuously operated distillation column used for the removal of ethane as distillate. Any
methane and hydrogen gas also leaves the top of the column with ethane while heavier
components leave the bottom. To ensure that the light hydrocarbons can be boiled and
condensed in liquid the liquid phase, the distillation is operated at a gauge pressure of 14bar.

The dehydrated stream enters the packed distillation column at 56°C and 14bar. The top stream
has a reflux ratio of 2.

 Yoo M, Han SJ, Wee JH. Carbon dioxide capture capacity of sodium hydroxide aqueous
solution. J Environ Manage. 2013
 https://nigen.com/teg-dehydration-process-gas-dehydration-system/#:~:text=What%20Is%20a
%20TEG%20Gas,natural%20gas%20flowing%20over%20it.