(501d) Separation of CO2 and H2S Using Room-Temperature Ionic Liquid

We have developed a ternary equation of state (EOS) model for the CO2/H2S/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([bmim][MeSO4]) system in order to understand separation of these gases using room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs). The present model is based on a modified RK (Redlich-Kwong) EOS, with empirical interaction parameters for each binary system. The interaction parameters have been determined using our measured VLE (vapor-liquid-equilibrium) data for H2S/[bmim][MeSO4] and literature data for CO2/[bmim][MeSO4] and CO2/H2S. Due to limited VLE data for H2S/[bmim][MeSO4], we have also used VLLE (vapor-liquid-liquid-equilibrium) measurements to construct the EOS model. The VLLE for H2S/[bmim][MeSO4] is highly asymmetric with a narrow (mole fraction H2S between 0.97 and 0.99) LLE gap which is the first such case reported in the literature and exhibits Type V phase behavior, according to the classification of van Konynenburg and Scott. The validity of the ternary EOS model has been checked by conducting VLE experiments for the CO2/H2S/[bmim][MeSO4] system. With this EOS model, solubility (VLE) behavior has been calculated for various (T, P, and feed compositions) conditions. For large (9/1) and intermediate (1/1) CO2/H2S feed ratios, the CO2/H2S gas selectivity is high (10 to 13, compared with < 4.5 in absence of ionic liquid) and nearly independent of the amount of ionic liquid added. For small CO2/H2S mole ratios (1/9) at 298.15 K, increasing the ionic liquid concentration increases the CO2/H2S gas selectivity from about 7.4 to 12.4. For high temperature (313.15 K) and large CO2/H2S feed ratios, the addition of the ionic liquid provides the only means of separation because no VLE exists for the CO2/H2S binary system without the ionic liquid.