What is the state of amine solution foaming?

Changes in pressure may not be obvious; the amine solution foams, there is an increase in the amount of dry gas and liquefied gas carried along, and the liquid level in the amine solution buffer tank drops significantly. Collect the lean amine solution, shake it – bubbles form and are difficult to remove

Symptoms of amine solution foaming: The level in the vapor-liquid separation tank rises rapidly; if the liquid is not removed in time, it can lead to dry gas or liquefied gas containing liquid； Once, the failure of the gas burner downstream was caused by the failure to remove liquid from the dry gas in a timely manner, which almost led to a shutdown under normal pressure. The reason for foaming of the amine solution is usually an increase in impurities such as particles, insoluble substances, and degradation products within the amine solution itself, which raises its viscosity and thus causes foaming. Measures to address amine solution foaming include: first, removing the liquid in a timely manner to prevent it from reaching downstream equipment or pipelines, and adding defoamers and other additives promptly; second, improving the management of the amine solution by sealing the storage tanks, for example using nitrogen sealing, to prevent degradation products from forming due to the oxidation of the amine solution itself ； Monitor the content of thermally stable salts in the amine solution, and install online desalination equipment ； It is necessary to further strengthen the filtering and purification process for incoming equipment; additional filtering devices such as coagulators should be installed, with one in use and another as a backup, to be switched and cleaned regularly.

After reading everyone’s posts, I see that what they said makes sense. However, using phenomena such as dry gas carrying liquid or an increase in the liquid level in the backflow separator to determine whether the amine solution is foaming is somewhat delayed; by that point, it becomes quite difficult to deal with the situation. The most effective, direct, and timely way to determine whether the amine solution is foaming is to check whether the differential pressure in the desulfurization tower (whether it’s a circulating gas desulfurization tower, a liquefied gas desulfurization tower, or a low-pressure gas desulfurization tower) remains stable. If the readings on the differential pressure gauge fluctuate significantly and irregularly, then, assuming there’s no issue with the instruments, it’s certain that the amine solution is foaming. At this point, it is necessary to check the cause of foaming – is it due to an improper control of the temperature difference between the amine solution and the gas? It is still necessary to take appropriate measures due to issues such as the quality of the amine solution.