Objective The aim is to screen out low pressure flash vapor mercury removal adsorbent suitable for mercury-containing natural gas treatment station.

Methods The distribution of mercury in natural gas processing station was simulated by VMGSim software.A natural gas treatment station of a mercury-containing gas field in western China was selected as the test site and a set of mercury removal test equipment was designed and constructed.The mercury removal effect of four kinds of common high pressure mercury removal adsorbents in the low-pressure flash system was tested by field test.

Results (1) The distribution of mercury simulated by VMGSim simulation software was close to the measured results in the natural gas treatment process, which has a certain guiding role for the design and production management of mercury-containing natural gas.(2) The adsorbent used for high pressure natural gas mercury removal could meet the requirements of low pressure flash vapor mercury removal emission standards.(3) The mercury removal effect of metal sulfide adsorbent was obviously better than that of activated carbon adsorbent.

Conclusions Domestic adsorbent suitable for low pressure flash vapor mercury removal was screened out, and the low pressure flash vapor mercury removal process technology was formed, which can provide guidance and reference for low pressure flash vapor mercury removal process.