Evonik markets specialty amine for more efficient acid gas scrubbing

• First market successes achieved with biogas – successful introduction to natural gas market
• CAPLUS® reduces energy consumption and increases capacity in industrial gas stream scrubbing

After its success with biogas upgrading, Evonik Industries has now entered the significant market for natural gas purification. Natural gas is the most important gas stream worldwide. The International Energy Agency estimates that gas consumption will increase by approximately 50 percent by the year 2035 to make up a quarter of the world’s energy mix. In CAPLUS®, the specialty chemicals company has introduced a new class of amines for scrubbing industrial gas streams onto the market. Without being scrubbed, gas streams such as natural gas, biogas, synthesis gas and flue gas are hardly useable. CAPLUS® removes unwanted acid gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide much more effectively than conventional amines and, at the same time, also increases the performance and working life of plants. With CAPLUS®, unpleasant side-effects such as foaming, decomposition, corrosion and intense energy consumption can be avoided.

CAPLUS® is currently being introduced to renowned natural-gas producers in Southeast Asia, the Middle East/North Africa and South America. "Our biggest challenge was convincing the first big natural-gas company to convert to CAPLUS®," says Dr. Jörn Rolker, Project Manager at Evonik Industries. "We have positioned ourselves as a complete technology supplier with an intense focus on the customer's plant and a comprehensive package of services. And it has won customers over."

In July 2014, a large, commercial natural-gas processing plant in Southeast Asia was filled with CAPLUS®. “During the nearly three-month observation period, CAPLUS® confirmed all predicted and contractually agreed added value,” says Rick Steglich, Director of Innovation. Due to the excellent performance of the product, the customer wants to convert other plants to CAPLUS® in the future.

Around two years ago, CAPLUS was filled into a commercial biogas plant for the first time. Despite the extreme conditions, no refilling of the absorbent was necessary the whole time. Compared with conventional absorption agents available on the market, it allows energy savings of approximately 10 percent and capacity increases of approximately 20 percent to be obtained.