The absorption of SO3 from the gas relies on equilibrium factors as
described in the section Absorption and Stripping. There are many physical factors that affect the degree of absorption that will occur in a tower. One of the primary factors is the vapour pressure of sulphur trioxide/sulphuric acid above the acid. Absorber towers operate in a relatively narrow range of concentration and temperature for effective absorption of SO3. This is apparent when you look at a plot of the total vapour pressure versus acid concentration curve. In a concentration range of 97.5% to 98.5% the equilibrium vapour pressure above sulphuric acid reaches a minimum. Operation in this acid concentration range will result in the maximum absorption of SO3. The vapour pressure curves (better curve to follow) indicate that the lower the acid temperature, the lower the vapour pressure above the acid. This would imply that operating the absorber system at lower temperatures would result in better absorption, however, this is not the case. At lower temperatures other physical properties such as density and viscosity begin to affect the absorption process in a negative manner. Industry practice is to operate the absorber system with acid inlet temperatures in the range of 65 to 85C. In North America, plants operate at the higher end of the temperature range, nominally 80C. In Europe, operation at the lower end of the temperature range is more typical. The specific operating conditions of a plants absorber system will depend on the design of the tower, packing characteristics, distributor design, acid flow, mist eliminator efficiency, etc. in addition to the acid concentration and temperature. The optimum operating conditions can be determined by measuring the amount of SO3/H2SO4 leaving the tower or in the case of a final absorber, observing the opacity of the stack. The quality of the stack emissions are observed as the operating conditions are varied. Operating conditions must reach steady state and be held for a period of time before the affects of the new operating conditions are recorded. A systematic program of varying operating conditions and observation will allow the optimum operating conditions to be determined. http://www.sulphuric-acid.com/techmanual/strong%20acid/sa_abs.htm
TEMPERATURE CAN PROVIDE an ESTIMATED STEAM PRESSURE Plants Can Estimate Steam and Condensate Pressures by Using Temperature Testing Devices to Detect the Temperature of the Steam Line Inlet to the Steam Trap Station and on