Analysis of the drawbacks of the traditional hydrogen fluoride production process – the converter method
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Analysis of the drawbacks of the traditional hydrogen fluoride production method – the converter process. Hydrogen fluoride is a basic raw material in the fluorine chemical industry. There are over 50 hydrogen fluoride production enterprises in our country, with an annual production capacity of 700,000 tons. It is understood that currently, the plants for producing hydrogen fluoride both domestically and internationally use sulfuric acid and fluorite powder as raw materials, employing a converter process for production. The production process using the converter method has many drawbacks: a small amount of fluorite powder coated with calcium sulfate does not come into contact with sulfuric acid, resulting in incomplete reaction. The unreacted fluorite powder mixes with the resulting gypsum to form fluoro-gypsum waste. At the same time, the temperature of up to 500°C inside the furnace causes some sulfuric acid volatiles and decompositions, along with a small amount of fluorite dust, to enter the hydrogen fluoride gas, making subsequent purification difficult. Furthermore, this process is prone to hydrogen fluoride gas leaks; the resulting fluorogypsum waste not only contains a small amount of fluorspar powder but also carries some hydrogen fluoride gas, which can easily cause environmental pollution. Given the problems associated with the converter process, hydrogen fluoride manufacturers have introduced various new technologies from abroad in recent years. Although the output per furnace has increased, issues such as incomplete reactions, high consumption of raw materials per unit of product, unstable quality, environmental pollution, and severe equipment corrosion still exist.
There may be new production techniques； I used to know about the low-temperature production process, but it wasn’t yet mature ； In the converter process, the sealing issues can be **resolved; there will be no leaks, and the sealed storage and transportation of gypsum slag will not result in any contamination** ； No production process can achieve 100% conversion; it is normal to have a small amount of gypsum residue in the gypsum product ； There are no technical issues with the distillation system for hydrofluoric acid at present; hydrogen fluoride produced in China can reach 99.99% purity. The operation of the distillation system can be ensured through proper control of the reaction furnace, and the temperature inside the reaction furnace must remain below 300 degrees – so how could sulfuric acid decompose? ； Equipment corrosion does exist, but many manufacturers report that their reactors have been in use for over 10 years without any problems. If a reactor that has been in operation for 10 years is considered to be severely corroded, that’s simply unacceptable. The corrosion problem associated with other types of equipment has also been largely resolved thanks to technological advances ； The original poster knows nothing about current converter production, yet still dares to talk about its flaws!
Hello, is it also used for producing hydrogen fluoride upstairs? May I ask if your converter has two inlets and one outlet, or already three outlets?
I work in HF production; the furnace temperature is 500 degrees. OP, if you don’t understand something, don’t speak recklessly. There are experts in the rivers and seas.
It seems that the poster’s remarks are very similar to the introductory overview in that literature. Hehe
Why is the original poster criticizing the converter production process? The current trend is that converters are gradually becoming larger, moving from initial capacities of a few hundred to a thousand tons to the current 20,000 tons, with even larger ones still in development. It is evident that the converter process remains the mainstream trend. Process engineers are responsible for resolving the problems that exist in a process route. Every process route has its drawbacks, and it is precisely for this reason that process engineers are needed. The sealing technology for converters is now quite advanced.......
Starting from raw fluorite ore to produce AHF, does the original poster have any more advanced production methods? At present, the converter process is undoubtedly the mature technology with the highest production capacity and most reasonable investment. .
I would like to ask the experts: what are some effective methods to prevent clogging in wash towers and crude cooling systems?
There may be several reasons for the clogging you are experiencing: 1. The amount of sulfuric acid sprayed is insufficient; the ratio of the two acids in your system is likely very low. It is advisable that the ratio of sulfuric acid to nicotinic acid be at least 1.5； 2. Check your acid powder ratio; it shouldn’t be too low, as this will result in the slag inside the furnace being too dry, making it easier for dust to be carried up ； 3. The packing in your scrubber tower needs to be checked; it’s best to flush it regularly ； The points mentioned above are for reference only. For the first and second points, apart from the low level of process control, the biggest issue is proper control of moisture in the system; in fact, the quality of fluorite powder is also a key factor to consider. .
All of you are experts; I would like to ask the seasoned professionals: what are the main hazards in the hydrogen fluoride production process? How to prevent leaks and corrosion caused by hydrogen fluoride and concentrated sulfuric acid?
The negative pressure at the gas outlet of the reaction reactor and acid spraying are crucial