Corrosion in the catalytic naphtha reforming unit of a petroleum refinery (Part II)

Abstract

The action of the acid gases, which are generated during the chlorination stage of the Pt/Re catalyst regeneration process on alumina base, is the cause that causes the intense corrosive deterioration of heat exchangers in the cooling system of the cooling unit. Catalytic reforming of naphtha from a refinery in the west of the country. In this work, a study was carried out to determine whether the presence of acid gases in the system is due to an insufficient amount of added soda for neutralization or to a low mass transfer rate between the acid gas and the basic liquid phases. The amount of soda needed to achieve neutralization was calculated and it was concluded that the flow of injected soda is sufficient to achieve the neutralization of acid gases. The approximate velocity of the gases in the system and the contact time between the phases were determined, resulting in a very small value, which, together with a very small interfasial area, prevents the neutralization of the acid gases from being correctly produced. As a result, it was concluded that the cause of the presence of acid gases in the system is the low mass transfer speed between the phases, which causes the neutralization process to be very slow. Solutions are proposed in the system that allow from a technical point of view to minimize the effects of corrosion.