Abstract: Acid gas removal by using amine gas treating system is an essential part of processes, such as coal gasification where carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbonyl sulphides, and other contaminants need to be removed. Foaming in amine plants increases operating costs and reduces treating efficiency. Plant upsets due to foaming require immediate mitigating actions. Amine solutions foam because normal froth is stabilized into foam by contaminating surfactants. Unfortunately, most antifoam agents are surface active, and are removed by activated carbon. Most often, after a brief improvement the problem becomes worse. Since pure amines do not form stable foams, one or more components must be present in the treating solution in order to form. Possible contaminants include not only liquid hydrocarbons and iron sulphide, but well treating fluids, amine degradation products, and other finely divided solids. The objective of controlling foaming should be to minimize level of contaminants in the amine solution. This seminar report explains how removing the foam and describes a series typical amine foaming incidents, causes, and plant responses; all with respect to the effects on the root causative agents. The most common way to control foaming has been injecting antifoaming chemicals into the recirculating solution stream to break the foam. This report will discuss the foaming problematic in chemical absorption plants.

Keywords: Amine system, foaming, plant response, foam removing.