Researchers in tech firms and knowledge-based companies have produced sulfur separation catalysts in collaboration with two centers of higher learning: Iran University of Science and Technology and Iran School of Chemical Engineering in Tehran.
The nanomaterial-based catalysts are among commonly used compounds in petrochemical and natural gas refineries to remove corrosive chemicals like hydrogen disulfide, ISNA reported.
The nanocatalysts namely ‘conversion claus catalyst”, ‘hydrolysis claus catalyst’ and ‘oxygen scavenging type’ are being used in several gas refineries including Ilam (in western Ilam Province), Hasheminejad (Khorasan Razavi Province) and South Pars refineries (Bushehr Province).
A catalyst is a substance that speeds up a chemical reaction but is not consumed by the reaction. Most solid catalysts are metals or oxides, sulfides, and halides of metallic elements and of semi-metallic elements such as boron, aluminum and silicon.
Petrochemical companies, natural gas and oil refineries use up to $400 million worth of catalysts a year, a large part of which is produced locally. Iranian companies annually use at least 23,000 tons of catalysts.
Private companies produce 20,000 tons covering most of the demand, the state-owned news agency reported without elaboration.
Rise in consumption of crude oil and its derivatives (albeit before covid-19 struck at the heart of the world economy in January) across the globe has caused serious concern among environmentalists and socio-economic experts.
The presence of sulfur-containing compounds in fossil fuel not only leads to corrosion problems but also inactivates pollution-control catalysts in internal combustion engines.
Recycling Factor
However, the newly-produced nanocatalysts can help separate 95% of sulfur in fossil fuels that can be recycled and used in other chemical industries.
Furthermore, sulfur oxides (SOx), produced during the combustion of fossil fuels, are the main source of acid rain which acidifies waterways to the wholesale detriment of forests and aquatic life.
Due to ecological concerns, removing sulfur from oil and gas compounds is of great importance and the newly produced compounds can help minimize the discharge of large amounts of sulfur compounds into the atmosphere.
Catalyst consumption is rising and local companies are improving R&D in a race to keep up with the times and not fall behind foreign competitors.
Catalysts play an essential role in the production of petroleum, polymers and chemicals, and the petrochemical industry’s growth is intertwined with catalyst production. Likewise, production of most key chemicals depends on catalysts.
Statistics show that global crude oil consumption will rise by 1.3% a year by 2025 if the deadly coronavirus becomes a thing of the past. This is while growth for the petrochemical sector is forecast at around 3.5%. In short, the latter’s growth will be three times that of oil.
The international catalyst market, now worth $18 billion per annum, is expected to grow exponentially and reach $35 billion by 2025.
Rising demand for catalysts from oil refineries, growing demand for polymers as well as growth in chemical output are key factors driving the global catalyst market.
