Bisulfite Liquor Production

(Calculations)
 I can't change the
THOUGHT FOR direction of the wind,
THE DAY but I can adjust my
sails to always reach
my destination.
Jimmy Dean

DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 2

TODAY:
Bisulfite Liquor Production
Exercises

DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 3

Bisulfite Liquor Production
Slaker: CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2
MgO + H2O Mg(OH)2
Absorption Tower:
Main Reactions: Ca(OH)2 + 2SO2 Ca(HSO3)2
Mg(OH)2 + 2SO2 Mg(HSO3)2
Side Reactions: Ca(OH)2 + SO3 CaSO4 + H2O
Mg(OH)2 + SO3 MgSO4 + H2O
H2O + SO3 H2SO4
SO4 + (1/2) O2 SO3
DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 4
Bisulfite Liquor Production
Gases from sulfur burner are passed through a cooler, an
entrainment separator and then into an absorption tower.
Milk of Lime or Slaked Lime lime mixed with water
- mixture of CaO, MgO and Inerts

To determine if oxidation of SO2 to SO3 took place, the waste

gases are compared with the cooled burner gases. If the O2
in the waste gases is less than the O2 in the cooled burner
gas, oxidation took place.
DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 5
Bisulfite Liquor Production
The mixture of Ca and Mg bisulfitea, Ca and Mg sulfates,
H2SO4, inerts and water make up the bisulfite liquor.
Analysis of the bisulfite liquor is usually reported in terms of
% SO2.
%SO2 contains both free SO2 and present as bisulfites.

Example:
10% SO2 may mean 3% free SO2 and the rest are present as
bisulfites.
DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 6
 Bisulfite Liquor Production
Primary Air Waste Gas
SLAKER

GAS Water Lime

BURNER COOLER
BG ABSORBER

Pyrite or Cinder
Cooler Gas
Raw S
Bisulfite Liquor
DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 7
Example 1:
Complete analysis of burner gas shows 5.71% SO2, 9.51% O2, 82.58%N2 and 2.20%
SO3. The burner gases are cooled and made to come into contact with milk of lime in
an absorption tower. The dolomitic lime used is 82% CaO, 16% MgO, and 2% inerts.
The bisulfite liquor produced contains 7.05% total SO2 of which 1.15% is free and
the rest 5.9% being present as bisulfites. An analysis of the dry waste gas shows that
it contains only O2 and N2. Assuming no further oxidation of SO2 to SO3 and
formation of H2SO4 in the tower, calculate:
(a) Wt of the bisulfite liquor (10,378 kgs)
(b) Lime consumption per hour (494 kgs/ hr)
(c) Wt of water used for slaking/ hr (8,801 kgs/ hr)
Note: 200 kmoles/ hr of burner gas is charged to the cooler.

DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 8

 Try this at Home!
The roasting of iron pyrites analyzing 85% FeS2 and 15% gangue utilizes 40% excess
air (FeS2 to SO2) supplied at the rate 358 m3/ hr at 23C, 743 mmHg and 88% RH. A
partial analysis of the cinder showed 25.92% FeS2 and 17.83% gangue. Only 65% of
the FeS2 gasified is converted to SO2, and the rest to SO3. The burner gases are
cooled and charged to a converter together with slaked lime from a dolomitic lime
containing 75% CaO, 25% MgO. If 850 kg/hr of bisulfite liquor are produced with no
oxidation of SO2 to SO3 taking place. Assume all SO2 is converted to bisulfite.
Calculate:
(a) kg/ hr of lime (33.724)
(b) kg/ hr of water for slaking (704.77)
(c) Complete analysis of the burner gas (5.35% SO2, 8.83% O2, 81.06% N2, 2.15% SO3
and 2.61% H2O)

DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 9

Reference:
Narayanan, K.V. & Lakshmikutty, B. (2006) Stoichiometry and Process Calculations. Delhi: Asoke K. Ghosh,
Private Limited.
Laurito, Evelyn R. (1994). Stoichiometry of Fuel Combustion and Related Process Industries. Quezon City:
National Bookstore.
Lewis, W.K. et al. (1954). Industrial Stoichiometry: Chemical Calculations of Manufacturing Processes. New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Williams, E.T. & Johnson, R.C. (1958). Stoichiometry for Chemical Engineers. New York: McGraw-Hill Book
Company.

DP de Guzman/ ChE Department/ XU-AdC 10