Regenerable CuO-Based Adsorbents for Low Temperature Desulfurization Application

Abstract

A series of CuO-based adsorbents for deep removal of H₂S at low temperature was prepared by a coprecipitation method. It was found that CuO-based adsorbents are able to remove H₂S from a CO₂ stream to less than 0.1 ppm at 40 °C. Among them, Fe–Cu–Al–O adsorbent exhibited the highest breakthrough capacity of 113.9 mg g^–1, which is more than 6 times that of pure CuO. The breakthrough capacity was also dependent on the adsorption temperature, space velocity, balance gas, and calcination temperature. The proper adsorption temperature should be lower than 100 °C in the presence of CO₂, and a higher space velocity and calcination temperature could decrease the breakthrough capacity significantly. In addition, the CuO-based adsorbents had a regeneration rate of 43–90% in air at a relative low temperature from 100 to 200 °C with a stable breakthrough capacity after four adsorption–regeneration cycles