Measurement of Elemental Mercury Solubility in Natural Gas Dehydrating Solvents

Mercury pollution and emission from natural gas processing industry has gradually received worldwide concern. Basic data and references are important for pollution control and environmental risk management. For this purpose, the solubility and the dissolving characteristics of mercury in the natural gas dehydrating solvents (methanol, mono-ethylene glycol and tri-ethylene glycol in particular) were studied at a temperature range from 253K to 373K. The dissolution experiments were carried out in the dissolving kettle and mercury concentration was analyzed by cold-vapor atomic absorption technique (CVAAS). The experimental results indicated that the solubility of mercury in these solvents showed an increasing trend with increased temperature, whereas decreased with decreasing solvent concentration. The results would be useful for the research on the distribution of mercury in the natural gas processing and provide basis for the prevention and control of mercury pollution.