5. Effects of process parameters. Application of process engineering to desulfurization operations

All desulphurization processes involve SO ₂ transfers between the gas and a solid reactive sorbent (dry and semi-dry processes) or between the gas and an absorbent solution or suspension (wet and semi-wet processes). These operations are, on the one hand, limited by equilibria and, on the other, governed by the speed of material transfers between the phases present and by the kinetics of the chemical reactions taking place in the absorbent medium. Equipment sizing is usually based on extrapolation of results obtained from previous pilots or installations. Nevertheless, the aim of this paragraph is to show that classical process engineering concepts applied to these operations can clearly explain the choice and evaluate the effects of operating conditions and parameters.