Resumen

ALCANTAR GONZALEZ, Fabiola Selene  y  CRUZ GOMEZ, M. Javier. Analysis of the distribution of sulphur in products, SO_x emissions and its recovery in the Mexican refinery national system. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2011, vol.27, n.2, pp.153-163. ISSN 0188-4999.

The main objective of this study was to identify the distribution of sulphur (S) in the Mexican Refinery National System (SNR) by performing a sulphur material balance with the data provided as an answer to the application number 1857600066308, made to the Instituto Federal de Acceso a la Información (IFAI) which provided monthly data from each refinery to determine the compliance to the NOM-148-SEMARNAT-2006 and NOM-086-SEMARNAT-SENER-SCFI-2005. It was also determined if the SO_x's emissions to the atmosphere are decreasing as a result of the introduction of low sulphur gasolines and diesel. The material balance was carried out for each Mexican refinery: Cadereyta, Madero, Minatitlan, Salamanca, Salina Cruz and Tula. To perform the balance, it was determined the total sulphur in crude oil and other inputs (S_T), sulphur in products (S_P), sulphur to burners and thermal oxidizers (S_Q) and recovered sulphur (S_R); based on the NOM-148-SEMARNAT-2006. The overall result for the SNR 2008 year indicates: total amount of sulphur that entered was 1 444 000 tons of sulphur. The amount of recovered sulphur through the Claus process was 386 000 sulphur tons, 980 000 sulphur tons in products manufactured in the SNR and 78 000 sulphur tons to burners and thermal oxidizer, which 291 586 Tons SO_x by year. The analysis of the Claus sulphur recovery plants from the SNR showed the following results in 2008. Cadereyta, Madero and Tula refineries have enough capacity, since they are recovering 90 % of the sulphur as requested by the NOM-148-SEMARNAT-2006. According to this, the other refineries need to increase their sulphur plants recovery capacity to comply the above NOM.

Palabras llave : sulphur; SO_x emissions; gasoline; diesel and material balance.