Solubility of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide in aqueous N-methyldiethanolamine solutions

In this work, 72 new experimental solubility data points for H2S and CO2 mixtures in aqueous N-methyldiethanol amine (MDEA) solutions at different methane partial pressures (up to 69 bara) are presented. They are correlated using an electrolyte equation of state (E-EOS) thermodynamic model. This model has already been used to estimate the CO2 solubility in aqueous MDEA (Huttenhuis et al. Fluid Phase Equilib. 2008, 264, 99-112) and the H2S solubility in aqueous MDEA (Huttenhuis et al. Int. J. Oil, Gas Coal Technol. 2008, 1, 399-424). Here, the model is further extended to predict the behavior of CO2 and H2S when they are present simultaneously in aqueous MDEA. The application of an equation of state is a new development for this type of system, i.e., of acid-gas-amine systems. The molecular interactions are described by Schwarzentruber et al.'s modification of the Redlich-Kwong-Soave equation of state, with terms added to account for ionic interactions in the liquid phase. The model is used to describe acid-gas solubility data for the CO2-H2S-MDEA-H2O system reported in the open literature and experimental data reported here for the CO2-H2S-MDEA-H2O-CH4 system. © 2009 American Chemical Society.