Steam Regeneration of Exhausted Activated Carbon Used in Natural Gas Dehydration by a Triethylene Glycol Unit

This study investigated the optimization of the regeneration of exhausted activated carbon (EAC) by hydrocarbons used in natural gas dehydration plants. For this purpose, various methods, including chemical, thermal, and steam regeneration, were used. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the steam regeneration of EAC at low temperatures, which was further enhanced by the preregeneration of EAC with dilute acid (2.5% hydrochloric acid). In addition, the performance of regenerated activated carbon (RAC) against hydrocarbons, prepared from exhausted triethylene glycol (ETEG), was evaluated using the following three parameters: the iodine number in EAC, the refractive index, and the density of TEG regenerated for determining the adsorption capacity. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of RAC on hydrocarbons from ETEG increased with increasing temperature, resulting in highly pure, hydrocarbon-free TEG suitable for use in natural gas TEG dehydration plants. The optimized steam regeneration method with dilute acid pre-treatment showed significant potential for improving the efficiency and sustainability of natural gas dehydration processes. These findings have important implications for the design and operation of steam regeneration units in industrial settings. Moreover, this study contributes to the growing body of research on sustainable and cost-effective methods for hydrocarbon removal in the gas processing industry.