Dorf Ketal’s slogan is “Innovation isn’t just what we do; it’s who we are.” The market for sulfiding agents has traditionally relied on technologies with stoichiometric limitations to achieve desired results. Among these agents, dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), the most commonly used, poses significant Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) risks due to its high toxicity. In line with the company’s commitment to innovation, the SULSAFE™ technology was launched in the second half of 2022.
Prior to its market launch, SULSAFE™ underwent thorough testing at prestigious research institutions, including Ghent University in Belgium and the Indian Institute of Petroleum. These tests confirmed several advantages of SULSAFE™ over DMDS:
✅ HSE (Health, Safety and Environment)
- Reduces toxicity and safety risks, simplifying the handling, storage, and transportation processes for both passivation of pyrolysis furnaces and presulfiding of hydrotreating (HDT) catalysts used in hydrocarbon streams.
✅ Pyrolysis Furnaces
- SULSAFE™ effectively controls carbon monoxide (CO) with nearly 50% less sulfur required compared to DMDS. This results in lower levels of diaromatic coke precursors and reduced coke formation, which can lead to increased yields of more valuable products and potentially longer furnace run times.
- Additionally, SULSAFE™ enhances the capability to reduce ethane recycling. A lower ethane recycle rate improves the overall energy efficiency of the plant and decreases its carbon footprint, as there is less ethane to compress, condense, and reheat. Using SULSAFE™, an increase in C₄ yield of up to 2% can be achieved compared to DMDS.
- Importantly, SULSAFE™ generates zero CS₂. In contrast, the thermal decomposition of DMDS produces CS₂. The only byproduct of using SULSAFE™ at any temperature is H₂S.
✅ HDT Catalysts
- SULSAFE™ effectively overcomes reaction exotherms, minimizing the risk of irreversible catalyst reduction.
- It reduces excess sulfur, leading to lower SOx emissions by decreasing or eliminating the burning of recycle gas.
- SULSAFE™ demonstrates improved sulfur deposition efficiency, even with a lower sulfur content.
- The product ensures uniform sulfur distribution and consistent H₂S availability across a wide temperature range.
- SULSAFE™ can also reduce the need for additional makeup hydrogen.
For more information about SULSAFE™ technology or technical assistance, please contact Dorf Ketal’s qualified team. Email: queries.latinamerica@dorfketal.com
