Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: A Carbon-Polymer Matrix-Based Flue Gas Purification Technology
EPA Contract Number: EPD04061Title: A Carbon-Polymer Matrix-Based Flue Gas Purification Technology
Investigators: Wu, Xiaoqun
Small Business: Sorption Technologies Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: April 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005
Project Amount: $224,961
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (2004) Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Pollution Prevention , Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
The carbon-polymer matrix (CPM) material invented by Sorbent Technologies Inc. is expected to remove sulfur dioxide (SO2) and mercury (Hg) simultaneously from industrial flue gases. It removes SO2 by converting it into concentrated sulfuric acid, without involving an adsorbent regeneration process. It removes Hg (both elemental and oxidized Hg) vapor by a chemisorption process. The CPM material-based flue gas purification technology is a simple, less expensive and multiple-pollutant removal process compared with other conventional approaches, such as limestone-based wet scrubber flue gas desulfurization (FGD) process and carbon injection Hg removal process.
In this Phase II research project, Sorbent Technologies has investigated the CPM material-based technology in depth through tests in the laboratory bench system and small-scale field demonstration system. The program was aimed at the following aspects: (1) optimizing CPM material synthesis and determining appropriate synthesis conditions; (2) carrying out kinetics experiments for the selection of optimal conditions for CPM material-based system operation; (3) estimating the pressure drop when the flue gas flows through the CPM material-packed system by using fluid dynamics simulation; and 4) performing small-scale field demonstration to evaluate the contaminant removal performance in the real flue gas atmosphere.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
Chemical promoter, thermal treatment temperature and CPM material structure are important parameters for CPM material synthesis, and all have been properly determined for synthesizing the optimal materials.
The pressure drop of the whole CPM-based system was estimated through fluid dynamics simulation. It was found that only a small pressure drop might be formed when the flue gas flows through the CPM-packed house.
The results of kinetics experiments show that the Hg removal performance is almost not affected by Hg concentration and the presence of other gases in the flue gas—except, it may slightly reduce as the concentration of SO2 increases. The effect of temperature on Hg removal performance depends on the relative humidity (RH) of the flue gas. At low RH, Hg removal efficiency is proportional to the temperature. At high RH, however, there is a maximum efficiency as temperature increases. On the other hand, SO2 removal performance may be influenced significantly by oxygen (O2) and nitrous monoxide (NO) concentrations in the flue gas.
Small-scale field demonstration was performed, showing that the CPM material possesses good Hg removal performance in the real flue gas conditions.
Conclusions:
Investigations in this Phase II project have confirmed that the CPM material can remove Hg and SO2 from flue gas, simultaneously and efficiently. Through the small-scale field demonstration, CPM material demonstrated displayed Hg removal performance in the real flue gas conditions, showing great potential in the industrial flue gas purification applications.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
carbon-polymer matrix material, flue gas purification technology, sulfur dioxide, mercury, oxygen, nitrous monoxide, adsorbent, chemisorption, sulfuric acid, temperature, relative humidity, wet scrubber, flue gas, flue gas desulfurization, EPA, small business, SBIR,, Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Air, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Environmental Chemistry, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Incineration/Combustion, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Environmental Engineering, sulfur dioxide (SO2), flue gas purification, clean technology, carbon polymer matrix, combustion-related pollutants, pollution prevention, flue gas emissions, emission controls, air emissions, flue gas, carbon polymer, emissions contol engineering, mercury abatement technology, sulfur oxides, air pollution, mercury emissions, air pollution control, mercury, Sulfur dioxideSBIR Phase I:
A Carbon-Polymer Matrix-Based Flue Gas Desulfurization Technology | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.