Pilot plant performance of triethanolamine for bulk CO/sub 2/ separation

Pilot tests have been conducted at the Levelland gasoline plant on the evaluation of triethanolamine, a tertiary amine, for bulk CO/sub 2/ separation from a gas simulating that produced during CO/sub 2/ miscible flooding; i.e., a gas rich in hydrocarbons. Many operating parameters were evaluated, including contactor pressure, amine temperature, amine circulation rate and concentration, CO/sub 2/ content in the feed gas, and various methods of amine regeneration. Bulk CO/sub 2/ removal from streams containing from 37% to 67% CO/sub 2/ was demonstrated successfully, with a minimum input of heat and good hydrocarbon selectivity. 13 references.