DSDA Sulphuric Acid Plant

Process outline

Sulphur melting
Sulphur filtration
Sulphur burning
Cooling of gas and steam
Contact synthesis
Acid synthesis
Air drying and absorption
Oleum facility and absorption

General
Combustion of sulphur with air to give sulphur dioxide and
oxygen in desired rate for conversion to sulphur trioxide.
Cataytic oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide.

Process
Sulphur Melting

Sulphur is fed into mixer compartment of sulphur and contains

steam coils supplied with saturated steam. It melts liquid sulphur
at 132-135 C. I t overflows into dusty sulphur compartment and
subsequently to pre-coat compartment where temperature is
maintained constant to keep it at molten state. The agitator in
theses tanks prevent the ash from settling. Water is taken out by
evaporator.

Sulphur Filtration
Ash normally found in the sulphur is very fine and hence removed
by pre-coat method of filtration by means of pressure leaf filter .

Sulphur Burning
From the sulphur storage pit, sulphur is pumped through steam
jacketed pipe by means of submerged centrifugal pumps and fed
into combustion furnace. The required air is supplied by Howden
burner.
In furnace, sulphur completely burns in air supplied by blower to
form sulphur dioxide the reaction is exothermic

Temperature of outgoing gas is raised to above 1000 which is

higher than the optimum temperature of 425 required for
conversion.

Cooling Of Gas And Steam Generation

Cooling of gases is carried out by a water tube waste heat boiler

having 2 heat exchanger bundles in series. Hot gases passing
over a series of boiler element is cooled down while a steam is
generated in the boiler corresponding to a temp of 200 C .Steam
is generated in the boiler at a rate of approx. 3 kg of steam per kg
of sulphur. The DM water required for boiler is from dissolved
oxygen and carbon dioxide and is then pumped to the boiler.

Contact Synthesis
The mixture of gases is then admitted into the first pass of a
convertor having 4 passes. In the single shell, a pass consisting of
a section of the convertor in which the gas is brought into contact
with one layer of catalyst and cooling does not take place
(

The temperatures are maintained by a system of waste heat

boiler and heat exchanger. The gas is rooted after the first and
4th layers using boilers and economizer.

Air Drying And Absorption

The air drying tower is packed with stoneware material. The air
steam flows from bottom to top while 96% sulphuric acid flows
the tower evenly distributed.
The sulphuric acid absorbs moisture contained in the air and gets
heated up. Heat is removed in acid water.
Sulphur trioxide contained in gases is absorbed in two absorption
towers, intermediate and final absorption column. Continuous

addition of sulphuric acid (96%)from the drying tower reduces the

concentration which build as the sulphur trioxide is absorbed
.Further process water is admitted and maintain the concentration
acid at 98.4%.

Oleum Facility
Basic feature involved in this manufacture is absorption of sulphur
trioxide present in gas in 98.4% sulphuric acid to give oleum
containing 24% free sulphur trioxide. Oleum circulation is done by
circulation pump .

Production
The products 98.4% acid and oleum are bled of the absorption
system through product acid cooler and production oleum cooler
to acid storage and oleum storage tanks respectively. The
unabsorbed gas containing a maximum of 0.06% sulphur dioxide
is sent tothe atmosphere throught the exit stack.