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Under what conditions will blockage occur upon rotation? Blockage will not happen as long as the inlet temperature and bed temperature remain within certain ranges. Is it sufficient to reach the melting temperature of sulfur?
Sulfur is a mixture; it is not a single compound. It has 36 allotropes, but the common ones are alpha sulfur, beta sulfur, and gamma sulfur. Their densities are 2.07, 1.96, and 1.92 respectively, their melting points are 112.8°C, 119°C, and about 120°C respectively, and their boiling point is 444.6°C for all of them. Sulfur vapor molecules consist of 2 atoms to 6 atoms. The reaction temperature in a rotary reactor must be higher than the dew point temperature of sulfur. However, there is a catalyst present in the bed, and this catalyst has numerous tiny pores; when these pores come into contact with sulfur vapor, a capillary effect occurs, causing sulfur to exist in the form of a liquid film within those pores. Therefore, even though the temperature is above the dew point during normal operation, some sulfur still accumulates in the bed, but this does not affect the normal progress of the reaction. If this situation persists for an extended period, then the issue of thermal soaking needs to be considered. Temperature is also a factor that affects clogging; when the temperature is below the sulfur dew point, large amounts of sulfur accumulate in the bed, preventing the reaction from proceeding properly. It is also possible that when the hydrocarbon levels in the acidic gas zone fluctuate, the air supply fails to keep up, resulting in carbon buildup in the bed; catalyst pulverization is another possible cause. It’s not enough to simply state what the desired temperature levels for import and export should be; you need to consider the specific reasons behind it.