Q & A > Question Details
This question is in regards to filter clay lumping in Kero Merox treatment.
What factors could lead to filter clay lumping in Kero Merox Treatment?
How to counter this issue from not occurring whereby unloading is not a painful experience.
Any advice/suggestions would be greatly appreciated
 
Answers
24/05/2019 A: Sridhar Balakrishnan, Bharat Oman Refineries Limited , laksrid@yahoo.com
Whenever water slippage is higher from salt filter into jet fuel , water carry over to clay will cause soaking of clay and it will form lumps . Monitor the water content in salt filter outlet sample for moisture content regularly , it will have control over the moisture slippage. Always moisture content should be minimum in salt filter outlet jet fuel samples.
22/05/2019 A: Sudhakara Babu Marpudi, Dangote Oil Refinery Company, m_sudhakarababu@yahoo.com
Water wash vessel of Kero Merox washes of Caustic entrained with Kero exiting the Caustic settler. Water entrained with Kero is captured in the Rock salt filter. The entrained Moisture / traces of water resulting from the failure of Rock salt filter is the cause for the lumping of clay. Rock salt filter absorbs all traces of water. The absorbed water need to be drained off periodically to prevent water build up in the bottom of the salt filter. The Rock salt gets dissolved in the absorbed water and gets drained off with water leading to depletion of the salt quantity. When the salt quantity is depleted, water gets carried with Kerosene into Clay filter. It is required to inspect the Salt bed height of Rock salt filter periodically and top up. Ensuring of salt for the process of absorption of water traces from the water washed kero prevents moisture ingress into clay filter and prevents lump formation in the clay filter.
22/05/2019 A: Lindsay McRae, Pall Corporation, Lindsay_McRae@pall.com
This is very likely caused by carryover of water / caustic into clay treater. You have likely had a salty water breakthrough from the salt drier. The water caustic emulsion downstream of caustic treater is usually having a very low Interfacial Tension (IFT) in the range of 0.5 to 7 dynes/cm so bulk removal devices may not be effective to remove free water/caustic .
PhaseSep Liquid Liquid coalescer and prefilter can remove down to <15 ppmw free water from Kerosene which will significantly reduce salt usage in salt drier and so protect clay treater better as well.
Also if there has been upsets in a Merox unit you may want to check caustic pre- treater operation as well as well.