Gipronikel Institute LLC, Saint Petersburg, Russia:

Yu. V. Vasiliev, Lead Researcher at the Laboratory of Pyrometallurgy, Candidate of Technical Sciences
L. B. Tsymbulov, Director of the Research & Development Department, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor

O. I. Platonov, Independent Advisor, Candidate of Technical Sciences

L. Sh. Tsemekhman, Professor, Editorial Board Member at Tsvetnye Metally, Doctor of Technical Sciences, e-mail: lev.tsem1@gmail.com

Processing of the Vanyukov furnace gas at the Elementary Sulphur Site of the Copper Plant, Polar Branch of Norilsk Nickel, involves a stage of catalytic conversion of reduced gas. The conversion efficiency is determined by the activity of the catalyst, which tends to go down during normal operation. To understand how the activity of alumina catalysts tends to change during normal operation and to estimate the deactivation rate of such catalysts, a statistical analysis was carried out for an О-К catalyst that covered a period of two years when the catalyst was used in the R-1-I converter at the average temperature of t_cat≈281 ^oC, space velocity of W~560 h^–1; and CR≡[H₂S]/[SO₂]≈1.26. A lowered activity of the О-К catalyst was established in the carbonyl sulphide conversion and the general conversion of sulphur containing gases. At the same time, the hydrogen sulphide conversion intensified. This corresponds to the ageing effects of other alumina catalysts: i.e. AOK-78-59, AO-NKZ-2 and CR-31. Starting from the second month of utilization, i.e. in the main period, alumina catalysts experience irreversible exponential deactivation, which enables to determine the life of such catalysts and predict their activity level and remaining life in the Claus reactor and the R-1-I converter, which are in operation at the Elementary Sulphur Site of the Copper Plant. A lower deactivation rate of the О-К catalyst helps extend its life in the current R-1-I reactor (converter) of the Elementary Sulphur Site of the Copper Plant, Polar Branch of Norilsk Nickel. What is characteristic of the О-К alumina catalyst during its initial operation in the R-1-I converter of the Elementary Sulphur Site is that the catalyst regenerates its activity after strong poisoning, which is the result of the Elementary Sulphur Line being heated up in the air flow. Elimination of this source of catalytic poisoning will add to the Vanyukov furnace gas desulphurization efficiency at the Copper Plant of the Polar Branch of Norilsk Nickel.

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