Aromatic substituted nonionic surfactants in soil prevention, reduction or removal in treatment zones

Abstract

Disclosed is a process for the treatment of a plant gaseous stream containing odor compounds including hydrogen sulfide, an alkyl mercaptan or an alkyl thiol and mixtures thereof by contacting the plant stream with an oxidizing agent that reduces the odor but forms elemental sulfur. The elemental sulfur, and other inorganic, scales that form, or deposit, can be suppressed or removed using a specific aromatic substituted nonionic surfactant material. The use of such a process produces a significant improvement in odor quality while maintaining a clean process facility and low operating pressure drop.

We claim:  
     
         1 . An aqueous peracid treatment composition, adapted for the removal of an odor composition from a gaseous stream, the treatment composition comprising, in an aqueous medium, an effective odor reducing amount of a peracid composition and an effective soil removing amount of a surfactant composition comprising; 
       R—(EO m —PO n —BO o ) x —R′ 
       wherein m is 2 to 60, o and n are independently 0 to 40; R is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if 1≦o+n≦20, R is a C 1-18  alkyl group; R′ is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if o+n≦1, R′ is a —H group; and x is 1-6.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the peracid composition comprises a peracetic acid composition, and the soil is elemental sulfur.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2  wherein the aqueous treatment composition comprises about 0.1 to 50 weight percent of a peracetic acid composition and about 0.1 to 30 weight percent of the surfactant.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein the aqueous treatment composition this additionally comprises about 0.1 to 25 weight percent of a sequestrant composition.  
     
     
         5 . An aqueous treatment composition, adapted for direct contact with a soil residue, the residue comprising an elemental sulfur, a carbonate, a phosphate, a silicate or mixtures thereof, in a treatment zone, the composition comprising about 0.1 to 50 parts by weight of a peracid composition and about 0.1 to 30 weight percent of a surfactant comprising: 
       R—(EO m —PO n —BO o ) x —R′ 
       wherein m is 2 to 60, o and n are independently 0 to 40; R is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if 1≦o+n≦20, R is a C 1-18  alkyl group; R′ is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if o+n≦1, R′ is a —H group; and x is 1-6, for each one million parts of the aqueous treatment composition.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the treatment zone is adapted for removal of an odor comprising a sulfur compound from a gaseous stream  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the peracid composition comprises a peracetic acid composition.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the aqueous treatment composition comprises about 1.0 to 20 weight percent of a peracetic acid composition and about 0.1 to 20 weight percent of the surfactant.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the aqueous treatment composition this additionally comprises about 0.1 to 10 weight percent of a sequestrant composition.  
     
     
         10 . A process for removing an inorganic soil composition from a surface, the process comprising contacting a surface with an aqueous solution comprising an effective inorganic removing amount of a surfactant comprising: 
       R—(EO m —PO n —BO o ) x —R′ 
       wherein m is 2 to 60, o and n are independently 0 to 40; R is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if 1≦o+n≦20, R is a C 1-18  alkyl group; R′ is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if o+n≦1, R′ is a —H group; and x is 1-6.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the inorganic soil comprises a soil comprising sulfur, sulfate, carbonate, silicate, phosphate or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the surface is a hard surface.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein any of the EO, PO, BO residues are in the form of a block polymer segment.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein any of the EO, PO, BO residues are randomly polymerized.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the surfactant is used in an amount of about 1 to 4000 ppm.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the surfactant is used in an amount of about 2 to 1500 ppm.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the surfactant is used in an amount of about 5 to 800 ppm.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the aqueous treatment comprises an acid pH.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  wherein the aqueous solution additionally comprises a peroxyacetic acid composition.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 10  wherein the aqueous solution comprises a sequestrant  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the sequestrant comprises 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid.  
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the aqueous treatment composition comprises about 1 to about 2000 parts by weight of surfactant and 1 to 800 parts of sequestrant for each one million parts by weight of the aqueous solution.  
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 20  wherein the aqueous treatment composition comprises about 1 to 1000 parts surfactant and 1 to 500 parts sequestrant.  
     
     
         24 . A process for removing an odor component comprising an inorganic scale containing compound from an gaseous stream and preventing or removing a soil in a gas treatment zone, the process comprising: 
 (a) contacting a gaseous effluent comprising the inorganic containing compound with a oxidizing agent in a treatment zone, forming an oxidized odor component and a soil; and    (b) preventing the formation of or removing at least a portion of the soil with an effective soil removing amount of a surfactant comprising:   R—(EO m —PO n —BO o ) x —R′   wherein m is 2 to 60, o and n are independently 0 to 40; R is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if 1≦o+n≦20, R is a C 1-18  alkyl group; R′ is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if o+n≦1, R′ is a —H group; and x is 1-6.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the oxidizing agent comprises an aqueous solution of an oxidizing agent, the aqueous solution additionally comprising the surfactant and the soil comprises elemental sulfur.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein a gaseous stream is contacted within oxidizing agent in a treatment zone, and the treatment zone is contacted with the surfactant during a separate cleaning step.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein any of the EO, PO, BO residues are in the form of a block polymer segment.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the soil comprises elemental sulfur, sulfate, carbonate, phosphate, silicate or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the inorganic containing compound comprises elemental sulfur.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the sulfur containing compound comprises a carbonate.  
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the odor removal, as measured by an odor threshold score, comprises about 20% or more.  
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the treatment zone and comprises a wet scrubber tower.  
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 24  wherein a venturi contactor is used to contact the gaseous stream with the agent.  
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 32  wherein in the wet scrubber tower, the gaseous stream passes vertically against a countercurrent flow of finely divided particulates or thin streams of the oxidizing agent.  
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the oxidizing agent composition comprises a peroxyacetic acid composition.  
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the aqueous treatment composition comprises about 1 to about 4000 parts by weight of surfactant for each one million parts by weight of the aqueous solution.  
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 25  wherein the aqueous solution comprises a sequestrant  
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 37  wherein the sequestrant comprises 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid.  
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 25  wherein one cubic foot of gaseous stream is contacted with about 0.01 to 10 liters of aqueous treatment solution.  
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 24  wherein at least about 20% of an odor forming compound selected from the group consisting of an organo-mercaptan, hydrogen sulfide or mixtures thereof, is absorbed and removed in the process from the plant atmosphere effluent and wherein the odor threshold is reduced by at least 20%.  
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 32  wherein the wet scrubber comprises a packed column.  
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 32  wherein, the wet scrubber column, the gaseous stream passes vertically with a cocurrent flow of finely divided particulates or streams of the aqueous peroxyacid treatment composition.  
     
     
         43 . A process for removing a soil from a gas treatment zone, the process comprising: 
 (a) contacting a gas a treatment zone with a treatment; and    (b) preventing the formation of or removing at least a portion of the inorganic soil from the treatment zone, the treatment comprising an effective inorganic soil removing amount of a surfactant comprising:   R—(EO m —PO n —BO o ) x —R′   wherein m is 2 to 60, o and n are independently 0 to 40; R is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if 1≦o+n≦20, R is a C 1-18  alkyl group; R′ is a benzyl group, an alkylaryl group or, if o+n≦1, R′ is a —H group; and x is 1-6.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the soil comprises a carbonate soil.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the soil comprises a phosphate soil.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the soil comprises a soil selected from the group consisting of a soil comprising a sulfur and carbonate soil, a sulfur and phosphate soil, a carbonate and silicate soil, a carbonate and phosphate soil, or mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the oxidizing agent comprises an aqueous solution of an oxidizing agent, the aqueous solution additionally comprising the surfactant.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43  wherein a gaseous stream is contacted within oxidizing agent in a treatment zone, and the treatment zone is contacted with the surfactant during a separate cleaning step.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43  wherein any of the EO, PO, BO residues are in the form of a block polymer segment.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43  wherein any of the EO, PO, BO residues are in the form of a randomly polymerized segment.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the inorganic soil comprises elemental sulfur.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 43  wherein the inorganic soil comprises a carbonate.  
     
     
         53 . The process of  claim 43  wherein the odor removal, as measured by an odor threshold score, comprises about 20% or more.  
     
     
         54 . The process of  claim 43  wherein the oxidizing agent composition comprises a peroxyacetic acid composition.  
     
     
         55 . The process of  claim 43  wherein the aqueous treatment composition comprises about 1 to about 4000 parts by weight of surfactant for each one million parts by weight of the aqueous solution.  
     
     
         56 . The process of  claim 43  wherein the aqueous solution comprises a sequestrant  
     
     
         57 . The process of  claim 56  wherein the sequestrant comprises 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid.