TECHNICAL PAPERS
Oct 15, 2002

Mercury Adsorption Properties of Sulfur-Impregnated Adsorbents

Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128, Issue 11

Abstract

Carbonaceous and noncarbonaceous adsorbents were impregnated with elemental sulfur to evaluate the chemical and physical properties of the adsorbents and their equilibrium mercury adsorption capacities. Simulated coal combustion flue gas conditions were used to determine the equilibrium adsorption capacities for Hg0 and HgCl2 gases to better understand how to remove mercury from gas streams generated by coal-fired utility power plants. Sulfur was deposited onto the adsorbents by monolayer surface deposition or volume pore filling. Sulfur impregnation increased the total sulfur content and decreased the total and micropore surface areas and pore volumes for all of the adsorbents tested. Adsorbents with sufficient amounts of active adsorption sites and sufficient microporous structure had mercury adsorption capacities up to 4,509 μg Hg/g adsorbent. Elemental sulfur, organic sulfur, and sulfate were formed on the adsorbents during sulfur impregnation. Correlations were established with R2>0.92 between the equilibrium Hg0/HgCl2 adsorption capacities and the mass concentrations of elemental and organic sulfur. This result indicates that elemental and organic sulfur are important active adsorption sites for Hg0 and HgCl2.

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Published In

Go to Journal of Environmental Engineering
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 128Issue 11November 2002
Pages: 1080 - 1089

History

Received: Aug 24, 2001
Accepted: Feb 13, 2002
Published online: Oct 15, 2002
Published in print: Nov 2002

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Authors

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Hsing-Cheng Hsi
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Safety, Health, and Environmental Engineering, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, R.O.C.; formerly, PhD, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801.
Mark J. Rood, M.ASCE
Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (corresponding author).
Massoud Rostam-Abadi
Adjunct Associate Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 N. Mathews Ave., Urbana, IL 61801; formerly, Head and Senior Chemical Engineer, Energy and Environmental Engineering, Illinois State Geological Survey, 615 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820 (corresponding author).
Shiaoguo Chen
Chemical Engineer, Illinois State Geological Survey, 615 E. Peabody Dr., Champaign, IL 61820.
Ramsay Chang
Manager, Particulate and Air Toxics Control, Energy Conversion Division, EPRI, 3412 Hillview Ave., Palo Alto, CA 20036.

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