The report gives results of a demonstration (in a 20,000-cfh integral pilot plant) of an all-dry, fluidized-bed process, using activated carbon for recovering SO2 as elemental sulfur. Granular carbon was recycled continuously more than 20 times between contact with flue gas from an oil-fired boiler and carbon regeneration to recover sulfur. During the 315-hour run, carbon performance remained high with essentially no chemical and low mechanical losses. Over 90% of the 2000 ppm SOx was removed from the flue gas as sulfuric acid by catalytic oxidation and subsequent hydrolysis within the carbon granule. In the two-step regeneration: (1) the acid was converted to elemental sulfur at 300F with internally produced H2S, and (2) an external source of hydrogen at 1000F was used to thermally strip the by-product sulfur from the carbon and produce the required H2S by reaction with the remaining sulfur on carbon. Sufficient process and design information was developed from data obtained in the integral run and prior stepwise pilot equipment operation to permit scale-up to a 15-MW prototype for a coal-fired boiler. In the preliminary design, reducing gas is produced in a coal gasifier. An economic assessment of a 1000-MW conceptual design for the process indicates capital and operating costs competitive with those of other regenerable systems. (Portions of this document are not fully legible.)

Prepared by Westvaco Corporation, Charleston Research Center, for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development. Prepared by Westvaco, North Carleston, S.C., under contract no. 68-02-0003, ROAP no. 21ACX-085, program element no. 1AB013. Includes bibliographical references.

v. 1. ; v.2 Appendix.