ABSTRACT
Non-thermal plasma (NTP) induced by positive corona discharge was utilized to oxidize NO and Hg0 to more water-soluble NO2 and Hg2+ under the conditions of simulated flue gas. The effects of discharge voltage and inlet SO2 and NO concentrations on NO and Hg0 oxidation and their removals by alkaline absorption were investigated. The results show that the oxidation and removal of NO and Hg0 are enhanced with the increase of discharge voltage. The concentrations of NO and NO2 at the outlet of absorption tower are 0 and 69 mg/m3 with an inlet NO concentration of 134 mg/m3 and a discharge voltage of 12. 8 kV while the outlet concentrations of Hg0 and Hg2+ are 22 microg/m3 and 11 microg/m3 with an inlet Hg0 concentration of 110 microg/m3 and a discharge voltage of 13.1 kV. The presence of SO2 slightly improves the oxidation and removal of Hg0 while it has almost no effect on NO oxidation and its removal. The oxidation and removal of Hg0 are significantly inhibited with the increase of inlet NO concentration. In the coexistence of 800 mg/m3 SO2, 134 mg/m3 NO and 110 microg/m3 Hg0, the removal efficiencies are 57% for NO and 31% for Hg0 with an energy input of 77 J/L.
Subject(s)
Air Pollutants/isolation & purification , Air Pollution/prevention & control , Mercury/isolation & purification , Nitric Oxide/isolation & purification , Air Pollutants/chemistry , Alkalies/chemistry , Carbon , Coal , Coal Ash , Electrochemistry/methods , Environmental Restoration and Remediation/methods , Gases/chemistry , Gases/isolation & purification , Mercury/chemistry , Nitric Oxide/chemistry , Particulate MatterABSTRACT
The effects of flue gas compositions such as NO, SO2, CO, H2O on elementary mercury oxidation by non-thermal plasma induced by positive streamer discharge were experimentally investigated by using a link tooth wheel-cylinder reactor. The results showed that the oxidation of elementary mercury decreased in the presence of CO2 and NO, which was attributed to the reduction of number of the active radicals reacted with elementary mercury. Adding 670 mg/m3 NO, only 37% elementary mercury was oxidized when the voltage was 9.5 kV. And CO was produced because of the reaction between CO2 and active radicals. The presence of SO2 resulted in an increase of elementary mercury oxidation, and white HgSO4 and Hg2SO4 were formed, little elementary mercury was detected at the outlet of the reactor when the voltage was 10 kV. Similarly, H2O and HCI promoted the oxidation of elementary mercury, which may be due to the formation of oxidative *OH and the presence of Cl- ions. The total mercury concentration dramatically decreased after the discharge reactor because the charging mercury was collected.
