Ukuhlaziywa kwemakethe kwakamuva kanye nentuthuko yemboni kugqamisa ukugxila okukhulayo ku-sulfolane, i-solvent ye-polar aprotic esebenza kahle kakhulu, njengoba imikhakha esukela kumakhemikhali kaphethroli kuya kwezemithi ifuna izinto ezisebenza kahle kakhulu nezihambisana nemvelo. Ngenhlanganisela yayo eyingqayizivele yokuzinza kokushisa, ukuncibilika okuphezulu, kanye nobuthi obuphansi, i-sulfolane iyavela njengesihluthulelo esibalulekile sezinqubo ezibeka phambili kokubili imigomo yokusebenza kahle kanye nokusimama.

Umkhakha Wamakhemikhali Uhola Ekwamukelweni Kokucutshungulwa Kwegesi Yemvelo

Imboni yamakhemikhali kaphethiloli isalokhu ingumthengi omkhulu we-sulfolane, ikakhulukazi isebenzisa ikhono layo elinamandla lokuhlukanisa amakhemikhali esibabule emifuleni yegesi yemvelo kanye nezindawo zokuhluza. Njengoba imithetho yomhlaba wonke yokukhishwa kwesibabule—ehlose ukunciphisa ukungcoliswa komoya kanye nokunciphisa umthelela wesimo sezulu—iya ngokuya iba lukhuni, abaqhubi baphendukela ezinhlelweni zokukhipha ezisekelwe ku-sulfolane ukuze bahlangabezane nemikhawulo eqinile yokuqukethwe kwesibabule kumafutha kanye negesi yemvelo.

Ngokungafani nezinyibilikisi zendabuko, i-sulfolane igcina ukusebenza okuzinzile emazingeni okushisa aphezulu (kufika ku-285°C) futhi imelana nokuwohloka, inciphisa isidingo sokushintsha izinyibilikisi njalo futhi yehlise izindleko zokusebenza zizonke. Imibiko yezimboni iphawula ukuthi izindawo zokuhluza kanye nezitshalo zokucubungula igesi yemvelo ezindaweni ezinezindinganiso eziqinile zokukhishwa komoya ziye zasheshisa ukutshalwa kwezimali kumayunithi okususa i-sulfolane aqhutshwa yi-sulfolane ezinyangeni eziyi-12 ezedlule, umkhuba okulindeleke ukuthi uqhubeke kuze kube ngu-2026.

Izimboni Zemithi Nezamakhemikhali Ezinhle Zandisa Ukusetshenziswa

Ngaphandle kwamakhemikhali e-petrochemicals, imikhakha yezemithi kanye namakhemikhali amahle yandisa ukusetshenziswa kwayo kwe-sulfolane njengendlela yokusabela kanye nesithako sokukhipha. Amandla ayo okuncibilikisa kokubili amakhemikhali e-polar kanye nalawo angewona e-polar enza kube kuhle kakhulu ekwakhiweni kwezithako zemithi ezisebenzayo (ama-API) kanye namakhemikhali akhethekile, lapho ukunemba kanye nobumsulwa kubalulekile khona.

Intuthuko yakamuva yezobuchwepheshe iphinde yabhekana nokukhathazeka komlando mayelana nokubuyiswa kwe-solvent, ngobuchwepheshe obusha bokuhluza nokuhlanza okuvumela i-sulfolane ukuthi isetshenziswe kabusha ngamazinga adlula ama-95% ekukhiqizweni kwemithi. Lokhu akugcini nje ngokunciphisa imfucuza kodwa futhi kuhambisana nokucindezela kwemboni kwemikhuba yomnotho ojikelezayo, okuqhuba ukwamukelwa okwengeziwe.

Gxila Ekukhiqizweni Okusimeme kanye Nokujikeleza

Njengoba isidingo sikhuphuka, ukunaka kuyashintsha ekukhiqizweni okusimeme kwe-sulfolane uqobo. Abakhiqizi bahlola izitsha zokudla ezisekelwe ku-bio kanye nemizila yokwenziwa eyonga amandla ukuze banciphise umthelela wekhabhoni ekukhiqizweni kwe-sulfolane, ngamaphrojekthi okuqala okuhlola abonisa ukwehla okungaba ngu-20% ekukhiqizweni kwamagesi okushisa ukushisa uma kuqhathaniswa nezindlela zendabuko.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukubambisana kwemboni kuyaqhubeka ukuthuthukisa iziqondiso ezijwayelekile zokuvuselela kabusha i-sulfolane kuyo yonke imikhakha, kuhloswe ukudala indlela ehlangene yokunciphisa imfucuza ye-solvent. Le mizamo isekelwa yizinhlangano ezilawulayo eziqaphela umthelela ophansi we-sulfolane kwezemvelo uma iphathwa kahle, ziyibeka njengenye indlela ekhethwayo kunezincibilikisi eziyingozi kakhulu.

Umbono: Ukukhula Okuzinzile Okuqhutshwa Yimithethonqubo Nokusungula Izinto Ezintsha

Izibikezelo zemakethe zisikisela ukuthi isidingo somhlaba wonke se-sulfolane sizokhula ngesilinganiso saminyaka yonke esingu-4.5% eminyakeni emihlanu ezayo, okubangelwa imithethonqubo eqhubekayo yokukhishwa kwegesi, intuthuko ekukhiqizweni kwemithi, kanye nokwandiswa kwengqalasizinda yokucubungula igesi yemvelo. Ochwepheshe bagcizelela ukuthi ukuguquguquka kwe-sulfolane—kanye nokuhambisana kwayo nemikhuba eqhubekayo—kuzoyigcina iphambili ekukhetheni izinyibilikisi zezimboni iminyaka ezayo.

“Njengoba izimboni zibhekana nezinselele ezimbili zokuthuthukisa ukusebenza kahle nokunciphisa umthelela emvelweni, izinyibilikisi ezifana ne-sulfolane azisezona nje amathuluzi okusebenza—ziyimpahla ebalulekile,” kusho okhulumela inhlangano ehamba phambili embonini. “Ukuqhubeka nokusungula izinto ezintsha endleleni esikhiqiza, esisebenzisa futhi siphinde sisebenzise ngayo i-sulfolane kuzoqinisa indima yaso ekwakheni izinhlelo zezimboni ezisimeme kakhudlwana.”