Feed conditioning
Characterize, store and prepare spent acid for controlled delivery to the decomposition system.
ACID PLANTS · RESOURCE RECOVERY
Spent Acid Regeneration
Recover sulfur value from contaminated spent acid through controlled decomposition, gas cleaning, catalytic conversion and absorption.
REGENERATIONTurn a difficult stream into reusable acid
FEEDSpent sulfuric acid / acid sludge
PRODUCTRegenerated sulfuric acid
CORE CHALLENGEVariable water, organics and impurities
TMCE SCOPEProcess, equipment and O&M support
PROCESS CONTEXT
Regeneration starts with understanding the spent acid.
Sulfuric acid used in refining and chemical processing can become diluted or contaminated even when its catalytic role does not consume the sulfur value itself. Regeneration thermally decomposes the spent acid into an SO2-bearing gas, conditions that gas, and returns it to sulfuric acid through the contact process.
The feed assay drives the plant. Water, hydrocarbons, dissolved solids, nitrogen compounds and variability influence furnace duty, oxygen demand, gas cleaning, NOx risk, corrosion, by-product handling and the final heat balance. A credible design therefore begins with feed characterization and operating scenarios—not a standard equipment list.
HOW IT WORKS
Two process areas, one integrated plant.
The regeneration section produces and cleans an SO2-bearing gas; the contact section converts and absorbs it into product acid.
Furnace reaction
Atomize and thermally decompose the feed, using the selected support-fuel and oxygen strategy.
Cooling & gas cleaning
Recover heat where practical, then remove acid mist, ash and feed-derived contaminants.
SO2 to SO3
Dry and condition the gas as required before catalytic conversion with controlled temperatures.
Regenerated acid
Absorb SO3 in circulating acid and manage concentration, cooling and final gas treatment.
DESIGN PRIORITIES
Feed variability changes every downstream decision.
These priorities must be evaluated together during concept selection and basic engineering.
Water, organics and contaminants
Define normal, minimum, maximum and upset compositions so the furnace and cleaning train are sized for reality.
Atomization and thermal stability
Coordinate lancing, residence time, temperature control, support fuel and oxygen strategy for stable decomposition.
NOx, mist and residual SO2
Address formation mechanisms and removal requirements from the earliest process configuration stage.
Hybrid and heat-recovery options
Evaluate sulfur co-firing, oxygen enrichment and recuperation against feed variability, utilities, CAPEX and operating objectives.
TYPICAL SYSTEM SCOPE
Critical equipment follows the process basis.
The public TMCE scope combines furnace and lancing knowledge with gas cleaning, contact-process equipment and long-term operating support.
The current public site cites high-purity 98% sulfuric acid as a product objective. Final concentration, capacity, emissions and consumption figures remain project-specific.
Spent acid receipt and storage
Feed pumping and atomization
Decomposition furnace
Support fuel / sulfur / oxygen systems
Waste heat boiler or recuperator
Quench, scrubbing and cooling
Mist and particulate removal
Drying and catalytic conversion
Absorption and acid cooling
Weak acid / residue handling
TMCE DELIVERY
Resolve process and equipment interfaces together.
Feed & scenario study
Assay review, variability envelope, material balance and route screening.
Process configuration
Furnace, cleaning train, contact section, heat integration and utilities.
Critical equipment integration
Lancing, vessels, heat exchangers, catalyst and control interfaces.
Startup & lifecycle service
Initial startup, troubleshooting, overhaul and long-term operating support.
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