Natural gas streams contain species of heavy hydrocarbons that may condense on pressure or temperature decrease. These heavy hydrocarbons can cause plugging of downstream valves and pipes or lead to potential malperformance of other equipment (e.g. membranes).
The temperature at which condensation of hydrocarbons occur is called the hydrocarbon dewpoint. Sorbead HRU (see also page 11) technology prevents hydrocarbon condensation and offers other advantages such as simultaneous water dewpointing, minimal differential pressure and high operational flexibility (wide range of dewpoint temperatures and feed gas flows). Removed hydrocarbons end up in the recycle condensate for further use as fuel or downstream operations (petrochemical, refining).