Topsoe introduced VK38+ to the market in 2020. This high-performance catalyst has been designed for sulfuric acid production, offering plant operators enhanced activity and improved durability and supporting them to achieve a workable balance between cost control, productivity, and legislative compliance.
More than five years after its introduction, VK38+ continues to confidently deliver on all parameters.
The Importance of Catalyst Selection
Selecting the optimal catalyst for an SO2 converter requires striking a careful balance between costs and benefits. VK38+ helps maintain that balance, offering greater efficiency, improved performance, and reduced energy consumption.
The highest-performing standard potassium-promoted catalyst on the market, VK38+, offers a range of premium benefits at a standard cost and is suitable for use in all SO2 converter beds.
Peter Andersson, Process Engineer at Kemira Kemi AB, explains, "After installing VK38+ in bed 2, the temperature increase is higher than ever. Together with a top up of bed 1, the VK38+ has increased conversion to a point where there's hardly any SO2 left for beds 3-5 to convert."
Advantages of VK38+
VK38+ offers a range of benefits, including:
- Emissions are reduced by around 35 % versus the existing VK38/48 loading
- Catalyst waste and raw material use are reduced by approximately 50 %
- A higher feed concentration capacity reduces power consumption by approximately 10 %
- Power output is increased with higher steam production at the same load.
- Chemical consumption is decreased or avoided altogether in existing scrubbers
- More existing catalysts can be reused
VK38+ offers excellent performance across a diverse range of operating conditions. The majority of high-performance catalysts are optimized to accommodate specific conditions, but VK38+ is the best catalyst on the market, able to enhance performance in all SO2 converter beds.
A Versatile Solution
Image Credit: Topsoe
Five years on, VK38+ continues to be the industry’s most versatile solution for meeting the increasing demands faced by sulfuric acid plants.
The use of VK38+ allows operators to better meet legislative requirements while decreasing plants’ environmental footprints, ultimately resulting in lower emissions, less waste, and better economics.
Peter Andersson summarizes these benefits, "When we introduced VK38+ five years ago, we had high expectations for its ability to address the critical challenges faced by sulfur plant operators - namely, improving efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. Today, we can safely conclude that it has delivered on them. VK38+ has proven itself as a game-changer in the industry, delivering unmatched performance and helping our customers achieve their operational and environmental goals with confidence.”
Acknowledgments
Produced from materials originally authored by Mårten Granroth from Topsoe.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Topsoe.
For more information on this source, please visit Topsoe.