Reaction Gas Monitoring

Oil refining involves processes such as atmospheric and vacuum distillation, catalytic reforming, catalytic cracking, hydrocracking, delayed coking and refinery gas treatment. These processes generate malodorous gases, primarily for two reasons: firstly, gases produced during various chemical and physical reactions; and secondly, gases volatilised from chemical raw materials during transport and storage.

These gases are diverse in nature; some pose a certain risk to the environment and human health, whilst those with a strong odour can seriously affect people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Inhalation of these malodorous gases can cause a range of adverse reactions; their toxicity can inflict serious damage on the human gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver, blood, cardiovascular system and nervous system, and in severe cases may lead to cancer. In animals, they can irritate the respiratory system or, following food contamination, induce various diseases; they can also cause dehydration and necrosis of plant tissues or interfere with enzymes, thereby affecting plant metabolic functions and reducing their resistance to disease. It is therefore essential to effectively control malodorous gases and eliminate their harm to the environment.

This makes it necessary to monitor, in real time, extremely low concentrations of various organic, organometallic and inorganic volatile compounds. These include HCN, H₂S, RSH, carbonyl compounds, acids, amines and other substances in various gaseous matrices, such as synthesis gas, flue gas or ambient air. ProC-TOF analysers are increasingly being utilised in the petrochemical industry, for example in gas-to-liquids (GTL) or amine treatment processes.

Online mass spectrometers can be used for process monitoring of reaction gases in the petrochemical industry, monitoring syngas and other gaseous processes to ensure safety, quality assurance and process optimisation.

Customised ProC-TOF online mass spectrometers are the ideal choice for achieving these benefits. The use of various reactants can be detected at an early stage, which helps to protect sensitive process components and prevent catalyst poisoning.

At the same time, online mass spectrometers enable process monitoring of the gas-to-liquids (GTL) process, providing real-time monitoring of volatiles in the gas-to-liquids (GTL) process, accessing the process interior in real time without the need for complex sampling and analysis steps. Real-time monitoring of trace contaminants in synthesis gas provides a better understanding of the process and enables advanced process optimisation.