A Solution for Removing Tramp Amines in Refinery Operations

摘要

Tramp amines are a growing issue for the refining industry. They impact desalter performance, increase the potential for overhead corrosion, decrease neutralizer effectiveness and increase loadings on the wastewater treatment plant. Lowering levels of tramp amines is very difficult because they are difficult to remove in the desalter and they recycle in a "tramp amine cycle," accumulating in the system over time. The level of amines that can cause problems is as low as 1 ppm in the crude. This paper describes the economics of eliminating the amines at the source in comparison to dealing with the problem at the refinery. A cost effective solution to break the amine cycle is proposed.