SPENT CAUSTIC

TREATMENT OPTIONS

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

Outline
 Background

 Treatment Options

 Most Common Treatment

 Conclusion

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

BACKGROUND
What is Spent caustic ?

Spent Caustic is the wastewater generated

from using Caustic to remove
1. Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) and
2. Mercaptanes (R-SH)
from hydrocarbon product stream.

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BACKGROUND
Major Sources of Spent Caustic

1. MEROX Processing Unit:

 Gasoline
 Kerosene
 Jet fuel
2. Isomerization Processing Unit

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BACKGROUND
Type Of Spent Caustics

1. Sulfidic Spent Caustic

2. Non-Sulfidic Spent Caustic

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BACKGROUND

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

BACKGROUND

Saudi Aramco: Company General Use

 BACKGROUND
Composition of Spent Caustic
 Toxic and Highly Odorous

 The list below shows typical analytical results:

 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD): 10,000 to 100,000 mg/L

 Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): 5,000 to 50,000 mg/L

 Total Organic Carbon (TOC): 1,000 to 5,000 mg/L

 Sulfides: 5,000 to 35,000 mg/L

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TREATMENT OPTIONS
 Chemical oxidation

 Neutralization

 Dilution Treatment

 Wet Air Oxidation

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CHEMICAL OXIDATION
Off Gas to
Thermal
Hydrogen Peroxide Oxidizer

Cooling

SEPARATOR
Catalyst

REACTOR
Process

Spent Caustic
Feed/Heating

Knock Out Drum

Oxidized Spent Caustics

to Neutralization and WTTP
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CHEMICAL OXIDATION
Advantages of Chemical Oxidation :

 Oxidized most of spent caustic

Disadvantages :

 Very high operating cost

 High explosion risks
 Requires special handling needs (H2O2 is highly
corrosive and degrades in heat)

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NEUTRALIZATION
Off Gas
to Sulfur Plant
Fuel Gas
Solvent

Sulfuric
Acid

SEPARATOR

STRIPPING
REACTOR

COLUMN
Acid
Brine
Spent Caustic

Solvent and Acid oils to fuel oil

Neutralized
Fresh Caustic Brine to WWTP

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NEUTRALIZATION
Advantages of Neutralization:
 Low Operating Cost

Disadvantages :
 Multiple chemical feed
 Complex separation steps
 Safety concerns: H2S is generated as a result of the
neutralization process
 Equipment life reduction: H2S is highly corrosive
 Odors Concerns
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DILUTION

Water
Supply Dilution Tank

Diluted Caustic to WWTP

Spent Caustic
Stream

Routing Sampling

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DILUTION
Advantages of Dilution:

 Low capital cost

 Lower safety concerns

Disadvantages :

 Not complete removal (No chemical reactions)

 Risk on downstream processes
 Very critical operations

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 WET AIR OXIDATION Off Gas to Thermal
Oxidizer

Oxidation Air Compressor

Heating

SEPARATOR
Cooling

REACTOR
Process

Spent
Caustic
High
Pressure
Pump Knock Out Drum

Oxidized Spent Caustics

toGeneral
Saudi Aramco: Company Neutralization
Use and WTTP
WET AIR OXIDATION
Advantages of Wet Air Oxidation:
 Treat all types of spent caustics
 Mostly oxidized the spent caustic
 Equipment is highly resistance to corrosion
 Low operating and maintenance cost

Disadvantages :
 Safety concerns is minimal if it is high pressure
and high temperature
 Consume Energy
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 THE MOST COMMON SPENT
CAUSTIC TREATMENT
WAO is the most common Spent Caustics Treatment

 The best combination of cost control

 Ease of operation and implementation
 WAO can treat all type of Spent Caustics at different
pressure and temperature.
 No byproducts to handle or excess sulfur within off-gas
stream
 Reuse spent caustic after WAO process

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CONCLUSION
 Type of Spent Caustic can determine the best treatment
technique .

 WAO found to be the most common treatment method to

treat all type of Spent Caustics.

 Safety factor plays a major role in spent caustic treatment.

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Thank You!

Questions?

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