Ali Karimi - Catalysis Development Technologies Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran
Sepehr Sadighi - Catalysis Development Technologies Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran
Maryam Mashayekhi - Catalysis Development Technologies Division, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran
Amir Zarei - Research Institute for the Development of Chemistry, Polymer and Petrochemical Technolog,, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran
Masoumeh Ghalbi Ahangary - Research Institute for the Development of Chemistry, Polymer and Petrochemical Technolog,, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry (RIPI), Tehran, Iran

Feed streams of natural gas refineries and petrochemical industries contain mercury traces, threatening the environment and human health. Moreover, brazed aluminum heat exchangers are susceptible to being attacked by this component. The current research discusses the mercury removal capacities of alumina-based sorbents containing copper sulfide as an active metal. Cat-A and MRU-۴ are synthesized and characterized using XRD, BET, TEM, XRF, and LECO methods. The experiments were carried out by loading the sorbents in a fixed-bed reactor, and they were sulfided by using a nitrogen gas stream containing ۸ mol% of H۲S at the temperature of ۲۸۵oC. Then, their mercury removal capacities are measured at the temperature of ۶۰ oC, pressure of ۱ atm, and gas flow rate of ۲۲۰ cm۳/min versus time. Results showed that Cat-A and MRU-۴ sorbents reached their static adsorption capacities of ۱۲.۱ and ۱۹.۳ wt%, respectively. Moreover, mercury adsorption variations of sorbents against time indicate that MRU-۴ had faster dynamic adsorption than Cat-A sorbent. Ultimately, the characterization results also confirmed that the structures of MRU-۴ and Cat-A adsorbents were mesoporous and microporous, respectively.

Mercury removal, Synthetic gas, Activated alumina, Copper sulfide, Sorbent