A Study on crystallization temperature and rate of ammonium salt in the high-pressure hydrogenation heat exchanger

Abstract

Ammonium salt crystallization corrosion failure is an essential problem in the failure of high-pressure hydrogenation heat exchangers. The crystallization equilibrium curves of NH4Cl and NH4HS under different pressures were established according to the ammonium salt crystallization process in the high-pressure hydrogenation heat exchange unit, and the crystallization equilibrium temperatures of NH4Cl and NH4HS were obtained based on Aspen Plus. In addition, a prediction model for the crystallization temperature of ammonium salt was established, then the relationship between crystallization temperature and rate of ammonium salts was elaborated. The results indicate that the initial crystallization temperatures of NH4Cl and NH4HS are respectively 198.95°c and 134.45°c when the system pressure is 10MPa, and the temperature is 433.15K. The maximum crystallization rate of NH4Cl and NH4HS occur at the initial crystallization temperature, respectively 0.104kg/h and 29.23kg/h. The crystallization rate of NH4HS is three orders of magnitude higher than that of NH4Cl.