Should the copper washing process be phased out?

Although the copper washing purification process has some shortcomings, it is not entirely useless. Proposing to eliminate copper washing may serve certain commercial purposes; does that mean that if the alcoholization process were not developed, all ammonia synthesis plants would have to close?

It should be phased out! Its main disadvantages are: severe pollution, as the copper melt, the gases generated during the recycling process, and other substances cause considerable environmental damage ； Again, its production process is resource-intensive and not energy-efficient. It can be replaced by an alkylation process.

The elimination of the copper washing process is an inevitable result of technological progress; anyone who undergoes such technological upgrades will surely experience the power of new technologies. Whether it’s a company or society, renewal is a normal phenomenon, and there’s no need to feel overly sad about it. As for the issue of ammonia-based flue gas desulfurization, many examples exist, but it is a different matter from the elimination of the copper washing process.

Things should be handled according to the actual conditions in each region – handle each case on its own terms!

It should be phased out! Its main disadvantages are: severe pollution, as the copper melt, the gases generated during the recycling process, and other substances cause considerable environmental damage ； Again, its production process is resource-intensive and not energy-efficient. It can be replaced by the alcohol alkylation process. Neometabolism is a necessity for technological development.

I’ll try to answer your questions one by one (please forgive any mistakes in my answers, haha): lol. 1. Is SO2 removed from the flue gases of the furnace, and what method is used for that? Answer: SO2 must be removed from boiler exhaust gases. The Standards for Emissions of Air Pollutants from Boilers stipulate that the SO2 emission concentration for coal-fired boilers should be less than 900 mg/m3; failure to treat the exhaust gases to meet this standard results in additional fees for pollution discharge – how can enterprises afford such costs! The treatment of sulfur in flue gas generally involves the ammonia method or the lime water method; limestone is also added to coal. 2. Is it feasible to remove SO2 using copper-treated ammonia water containing carbon dioxide? Answer: Any alkaline wastewater will do. 3. Using copper to treat ammonia water containing carbon dioxide to remove SO2 from flue gas in order to obtain sulfuric acid an product – is this in conflict with **environmental protection policies? Answer: They are not contradictory. **They only require that your emissions comply with the standards set in the \"Emission Standards for Air Pollutants from Boilers\"; as long as no new pollutants are generated during the treatment of flue gas, they won’t cause you any problems. 4. Using copper washing with ammonia to remove SO2 from flue gas enables waste utilization and also addresses environmental issues (including flue gas dust removal). So, can copper washing be considered a \"backward process\"? Answer: This cannot be generalized. When it is said that copper washing is energy-intensive, it refers mainly to high power consumption. In fact, after switching to alcohol hydroformylation, the power consumption of the circulators and electric furnaces increases; thus, alcohol hydroformylation is not advantageous in terms of power consumption, and in fact, the power consumption rises significantly. Speaking solely from the perspective of saving electricity, if an economically reasonable synthesis pressure is used, along with ammonia catalysts that are highly active, capable of operating over a wide temperature range, and possess high strength, along with efficient and energy-saving synthesis towers paired with a copper washing system, unexpected savings in electricity consumption can be achieved ； The second are the materials used in copper washing machines, such as copper, ammonia, acetic acid, etc. However, in comparison, the depreciation cost of catalysts used in alcohol hydroformylation or alcohol alkylation is also quite significant; thus, this advantage is not particularly obvious ； Thirdly, the copper washing equipment in most plants is outdated, has many leakage points, and inadequate operation and management lead to fluid loss or leaks that cause pollution and losses. Frequent equipment failures also affect the ability to operate for extended periods of time; this is actually a management issue. Fourthly, the waste gas removed through copper washing is used in the alcohol-hydrocarbonation process to produce methanol or hydrocarbons, thereby reducing losses and lowering consumption to some extent; in this regard it is superior to copper washing technology. However, the useful gas produced by the regeneration reactor in the copper washing process can be recovered and stored in gas tanks, and proper recovery procedures can help reduce losses ； Fifthly, in alcohol-to-hydrocarbon conversion processes, the ratio of alcohol to ammonia can generally be adjusted, and CO2 is recovered, which leads to a greater variety of products. When the methanol market is strong, good economic benefits can indeed be achieved, an advantage that copper washing technology does not possess. 5. Can the \"ammonia solution method for removing sulfur dioxide\" promoted in our country be applied in nitrogen fertilizer plants, especially those that are small and operate under difficult conditions? Now, some people regard the copper washing process as an apocalypse and feel uneasy without eliminating it. This has already affected the industrial landscape of our country. Is it hasty to declare a certain manufacturing process as \"obsolete\"? Answer: As for the reuse of ammonia waste water from copper washing, it cannot be used as a criterion to determine whether copper washing is advanced or should be phased out. Whether to retire it depends on one’s own judgment or the age of the existing device. If the device can still be used for many years, why rush to replace it? If the device is truly outdated and its main components need to be replaced to ensure long-term stable operation, then converting it to an alcohol-oil process could be considered; in any case, a comprehensive evaluation is necessary before making a decision! Calculate the inputs and outputs! Don’t believe everyone’s lies! This post was last edited by ddfmy on 2009-1-31 00:14]

The copper washing process is a technique; with the advancement of technology, improvements to this technique occur very rapidly. Additionally, it is necessary to take specific requirements into account, so the decision should be based on actual needs, rather than simply determining whether it is outdated or not

It should be phased out – it pollutes the environment too much, consumes a lot of energy, and is also not good for workers’ health. Moreover, it seems that the CO+CO2 content is higher after copper washing. Our factory replaced it with methanation a long time ago; it works extremely well, and it’s a process that is very clean. It should be phased out due to its environmental pollution; after all, the Earth is our common home and we need to take care of it.

Let me talk about ammonia-based desulfurization. Our company uses this method for treating flue gas; it involves making use of ammonia water recovered from synthetic ammonia production. To be honest, this is a way of taking advantage of environmental regulations – SO2 levels are reduced, but the ammonia smell in the flue gas increases. However, online monitoring systems cannot detect the ammonia content. I believe that ammonia-based desulfurization will eventually be phased out