NGHI SON REFINERY AND PETROCHEMICAL LLC.

Technical Division-Engineering Section-Process Group

TRAINING LESSON
FOAMING IN AMINE SYSTEMS

Topic Foaming in amine systems Doc. Number

Prepared by T.V.Dung Reviewed by V.N.Thang Date 18/05/17 Rev. 0
Basic Knowledge X Improvement Example Problem Example

Presented By: Tran Van Dung

NSRP- 18/May/2017
1
Amine Users in NSPR Refinery
120 ton/hr
Unit 011 – LRU

Rich Amine Unit 084

Unit 014 – GOHDS Amine Regenerator
80 ton/hr Unit

Unit 020 – RHDS

590 ton/hr Lean Amine

Unit 023 - RFCC Unit 090, 091 - TGTU

60 ton/hr 130 ton/hr

Regenerator Regenerator
023-C-201 092-C-003
2
Content
1. Introduce of Foaming in amine system
2. Foaming Tendency and Stability
3. Detection of Amine Foaming
4. Solution
5. Summary

3
Purpose
 Understanding the negative effects of Foaming to Amine System
and how to resolve.
 Understanding the mechanism of foam formation and stability
 Understanding how to detect foaming in Amine System.

4
1. Introduce
Foam is the result of a mechanical incorporation of a gas into a
liquid. The liquid film surrounds a volume of gas creating a bubble.
If bubbles being formed faster than the existing ones are breaking,
they will accumulated as foam.

Foam is primary dependent on surface characteristic such as

surface viscosity, drainage, elasticity of the film layer.

5
2. Foam Tendency and Stability

There are three primary causes of foaming in amine system:

 Degradation products with surface active characteristics
 Foreign materials originating form related equipment such as:
lubricant from rotating machine, liquid hydrocarbon from upstream
systems, ect.
 Iron sulfide particles and other particles.

6
2. Foam Tendency and Stability

Foam
Surface
Tension (Surface
expansion)

Conclusion 1: The lower surface tension the higher foam tendency.

7
2. Foam Tendency and Stability
Film drainage is a process by which the liquid around the bubbles
migrates from the cell wall into the intersection of the bubbles.
Film drainage is influenced by the vapor velocity, bulk velocity and
gravity.

Conclusion 2: The slower film drainage the higher foam stability.

8
2. Foam Tendency and Stability
Surface elasticity, also termed Gibbs-Marangoni elasticity or self-
heal effect, is a way in which thin spots in a bubble wall can be
repair.
This ability is resist film thinning is referred to as film elasticity.

9
3. Detection of foaming
- An erratic profile of the differential pressure measurement over the
packing/trays of the absorber/regenerator; the pressure drop over the
packing/trays increases during foaming.
- A sudden increase of the level in the reflux drum due to carry-over of
foam and amine from the absorber/regenerator.
- A sudden increase in regenerator overhead temperature.
- Higher than normal amine losses.
- A sudden drop of the liquid level in the bottom of the absorber or
regenerator.
- A high amine content in the reflux of the regenerator.
- A dirty and opaque amine.
- A positive test for the foaming tendency. 10
 4. Solution

If foaming occur, anti-foam agent is injected

Using filter to eliminates any potential particular matter

Activated Carbon Absorber for the purification of

hydrocarbon and degradation by-product
11
4. Solution
Conclusion 3: Adding antifoam to the system broke the foam, but
had no affect on the surfactants dissolved in the solution. If the
foaming tendency of the solution should increase even slightly the
solution will foam again.

Conclusion 4: After a period of time, all antifoam lose their efficiency

because of many reason.

12
4. How does anti-foam working
Requirements for defoamer:
- Insoluble in the formulation to be defoamed.
- Low surface tension
- Positive penetration coefficient (E)
- Positive spreading coefficient (S) or positive bridging coefficient and
de-wetting characteristics.

13
5. Summary
- Foaming is a phenomenon which is frequently occurs in amine
system that cause negative effects to treating efficiency and
increase operating costs.
- Foam is primary dependent on surface characteristic such as
surface viscosity, drainage, elasticity of the film layer.
- The presence of liquid hydrocarbon can lead to reduce surface
tension and increase the tendency to foam.
- Iron sulfide will concentrate on the liquid surface forming can lead to
increase the surface viscosity result in reduce liquid drainage, the
foam is more stabilizer.
- The only way to actually control amine foaming over the long term is
to remove the foam causing surfactants. 14
 Q &A

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

15