Case studies of troubleshooting amine treating foaming—Part 1

D. Engel, Nexo Solutions, Amine Optimization Division, The Woodlands, Texas; B. Spooner, Sulphur Experts, Amine Experts, Kemah, Texas; and M. Sheilan, Sulphur Experts, Amine Experts, Calgary, Canada  Amine solution foaming is a phenomenon that has been intensively studied and reported. Several foaming root causes have been determined throughout the years; however, the latest experiments suggest that the predominant mechanism for foaming is related to contaminants in the form of surface-active materials, or surfactants. These contaminants can enter the unit in solid, liquid or gas phases and often modify the solution properties in such a way that foam (in gas contactors) and emulsions (in l