Open AccessMercury-binding membranes for flue gas clean-up
Author(s) -
Franklin O. Kroh,
Thane Morgan
Publication year - 2001
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/785001
Subject(s) - flue gas , mercury (programming language) , adsorption , activated carbon , chemistry , porosity , flue , ionic strength , chemical engineering , airflow , membrane , aqueous solution , inorganic chemistry , waste management , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , biochemistry , computer science , engineering , programming language , physics
All Phase I objectives were met. In the Phase I program, TPL developed a material, T- 450, capable of removing elemental mercury from air. It was found to have high porosity, good mechanical strength, good affinity for aqueous ionic mercury, and good stability to hot acidic gas. The material, used as a granular solid, was tested for adsorption of mercury in two protocols, one involving static room-temperature air and one using flowing hot air. In each case, it was superior to activated carbon. The following results were obtained: 1. Sol-gel methods were found to be applicable for synthesis of silicates containing oxidized thiol (disulfide) groups. 2. Synthetic parameters were determined for silicates with a variety of physical properties and performances. 3. Measurement of physical properties indicate high porosity strength, and stability to conditions found in flue gases. 4. The Hg° adsorption of T-450 was superior to that of activated carbon; static testing indicated a 2.4-fold increase in mercury adsorption, while a flow system mimicking hot flue gas indicated a 3.6-fold increase in Hg adsorption. 5. Economic analysis indicated that T-450 is a strong candidate for scale-up and commercial development. For the cost of removing Hg from flue gas, a savings of 23.5% is estimated, relative to use of activated carbon