Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: A Carbon-Polymer Matrix-Based Flue Gas Desulfurization Technology
EPA Contract Number: 68D03035Title: A Carbon-Polymer Matrix-Based Flue Gas Desulfurization Technology
Investigators: Lu, Xiao-Chun
Small Business: Sorption Technologies Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: I
Project Period: April 1, 2003 through September 1, 2003
Project Amount: $69,996
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase I (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Air Quality and Air Toxics , SBIR - Air Pollution , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
In this Phase I research project, a carbon-polymer-matrix (CPM) material was studied for flue gas purification applications. Current flue gas purification technologies are expensive, energy intensive, and generate secondary pollution. Most of these technologies only remove single pollutants from flue gases. For example, the prevailing limestone-based scrubber is not only expensive and energy consuming, but also generates a large amount of liquid and solid wastes.
The proposed CPM material removes sulfur dioxide (SO2), mercury vapor (both elemental mercury and mercury oxide), and fine particles simultaneously from flue gas. Due to its unique physical-chemical properties, the material removes SO2 by converting it into concentrated sulfuric acid without requiring a complicated material-regeneration process. It also removes mercury vapor through a chemical fixation process and removes fine particles through a surface filtration process. As a result, the flue gas purification technology examined in this project is a simple, low-cost, and multiple pollutant-removal process.
During this research project, Sorption Technologies, Inc., synthesized and characterized CPM materials, constructed a bench-scale flue gas purification system, tested the CPM material's SO2 removal performance under different conditions, and measured the CPM material's mercury vapor removal performance. Very promising results have been obtained.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
The following results were obtained during this project:
· The key characteristics of the CPM material were firmly established (i.e., the CPM is able to expel the sulfuric acid solution from its matrix without any regeneration process). The material is completely self-regenerative. Therefore, the CPM-based flue gas purification is a continuous process that does not require a separate regeneration step.
· The CPM material removes SO2 by converting it into sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and expelling the acid onto the material's outer surfaces. The converted acid is collected as acid solution with approximately a 38 weight-percent H2SO4 concentration. Depending on the moisture level presented in the flue gas, acid concentrations higher than 45 percent were achieved.
· The CPM material removes mercury vapor by chemically fixing the mercury molecules on its matrix as mercury compounds. A mercury-removal capacity as high as 0.46 percent by material weight was observed. With this capacity, the flue gas mercury would only consume a small portion of the material’s capacity within the projected 2-year service time of the CPM material.
· The material exhibited very high SO2 and mercury vapor removal efficiency; greater than 97 percent removal efficiencies of SO2 and mercury vapor were achieved with moderate space-time values.
· The material exhibited very stable SO2 removal performance; a 2-month test showed no performance deterioration during this period.
The results obtained during Phase I clearly demonstrate that it is feasible to use the CPM material for flue gas purification applications. A simple, low-cost, multi-pollutant, environmentally benign, and highly efficient flue gas purification technology can be developed based on the CPM material. Due to the simplicity and compactness, this flue gas purification system is particularly suitable for retrofitting existing facilities.
Conclusions:
The following conclusions were drawn from this research project:
· The CPM material has newly discovered unique physical-chemical properties.
· The CPM material has the unique capability to convert the SO2 into sulfuric acid and expel the converted acid onto the material's outer surfaces; therefore, the CPM is self-regenerative.
· The CPM material can remove mercury vapor through a chemical fixation process, and the material also can remove the fine particles through a surface filtration process.
· The material has a very high SO2 and mercury removal efficiency (greater than 97 percent removal efficiency with a moderate space-time value).
· The CPM material has very high mercury-removal capacity (greater than 0.46 percent by material weight was observed when the material still had more than 93 percent mercury-removal efficiency, equivalent to 4-5 years of operation time).
· Based on the CPM material, a disruptive flue gas purification technology can be developed, which will be far superior to the current technologies in operation, cost, efficiency, multi-pollutant removal capability, and environmental benignity.
Supplemental Keywords:
carbon-polymer-matrix material, CPM, flue gas purification technology, air pollution, sulfur dioxide, SO2, mercury vapor, sorbent polymer, chemical fixation, sulfuric acid, H2SO4, surface filtration, fine particles, small business, SBIR., Scientific Discipline, Air, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics, Environmental Engineering, desulfurization, sulfur dioxide (SO2), SO2, catalytic sorbent, carbon polymer, catalytic combustionSBIR Phase II:
A Carbon-Polymer Matrix-Based Flue Gas Purification 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.