Acidulation and Regeneration of Bamboo Derived Sorbents for Gas Phase Adsorption of Elemental Mercury
- 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes Southern Illinois University, Carbodnale, IL 62901-6603
- 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes Southern Illinois University, Carbodnale, IL 62901-6603
Abstract
This paper presents results that illustrate the recycling of a bamboo derived sorbent used for the capture of elemental mercury (Hg 0 ). The bamboo derived sorbent used is essentially a HCl functionalized activated carbon prepared from carbonization and CO 2 activation of raw bamboo, that could potentially provide an alternative way to existing methods in removing mercury from flue gases from coal-fired plants. In this study, the bamboo derived sorbents were tested in a batch test using a mercury permeation tube as the source and nitrogen as a carrier gas. The recycling or regeneration of an activated carbon is an important issue to address from a coal-fired power plant point of view, and an attempt has been made to test the behavior of bamboo derived sorbents with various treatments including carbonized, carbonized-activated, carbonized-activated-acidulated, and then a follow-up recycled run after sample treatments in gas phase. From the study, it was found that bamboo derived activated carbon can be successfully acidulated using various normalities of HCl where weak solutions can be very effective in functionalizing the surface of the sorbent and capturing mercury. In order to recycle and reuse bamboo derived sorbents, stronger normalities of HCl would be desired.
- EPA Mercury Home, online: http://epa.gov/mercury/ [August 5th 2010]
- Jones, A., Hoffman, J., Smith, D., Feeley III, T., and Murphy. J., 2007, “DOE/NETL’s Phase II Mercury Control Technology Field Testing Program: Preliminary Economic Analysis of Activated Carbon Injection.” Environ. Sci. Technol., Vol. 41, Issue 4, pp. 1365-1371.
- His, H., Chen, S., Rostam-Abadi, M., Rood, M., Richardson, C., Carey, T., and Chang, R., 1998, “Preparation and Evaluation of Coal-Derived Activated Carbons for Removal of Mercury Vapor from Simulated Coal Combustion Flue Gases”, Energy & Fuels, Vol. 12, Issue 6, pp. 1061-1070
- Bustard, J., Durham, M., Starnes, T., Lindsey, C., Martin, C., Schlager, R., and Baldrey K, 2004, “Full-Scale evaluation of sorbent injection for mercury control on coal-fired power plants”, Fuel Proces. Technol. Vol. 85, Issue 6-7, pp. 549-562
- Li, Z., Sun, X., Luo, J., Hwang J., and Crittenden J., 2002, “Unburned Carbon from Fly Ash for Mercury Adsorption: II. Adsorption Isotherms and Mechanisms”, Journal of Minerals & Materials Characterization & Engineering, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 79-96
- Luo, J., Hein, A., and Hwang, J., 2004 “Adsorption of Vapor Phase Mercury on Various Carbons”, Journal of Minerals & Materials Characterization & Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 13-22
- Hameed, B., Din, A., and Ahmad, A., 2007, “Adsorption of methylene blue onto bamboobased activated carbon: Kinetics and equilibrium studies”, Journal of Hazardous Materials, Vol. 141, Issue 3, pp. 819-825
- Wu, F., Tseng, R., and Juang, R., 1999, “Preparation of activated carbons from bamboo and their adsorption abilities for dyes and phenols”, J. Environ. Sci. Health, Vol. A34, Issue 9, pp. 1753-1775.
- Granite, E., Pennline, H., Hargis, R., 2000, “Novel Sorbents for Mercury Removal from Flue Gas”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 39, Issue 4, pp. 1020-1029.
- Mui, E., Cheung, W., Lee, V., and McKay, G., 2008, “Kinetic Study on Bamboo Pyrolysis”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., Vol. 47, Issue 15, pp. 5710-5722 .
- Scurlock, J., Dayton, D., and Hames, B., 2000, “Bamboo: an overlooked biomass resource”, Biomass & Bioenergy, Vol. 19, Issue 4, pp. 229- 244.
- Asada, T., Ishihara, S., Yamane, T., Toba, A., Yamada, A., Oikawa, K., 2002, “Science of Bamboo Charcoal : Study on Carbonizing Temperature of Bamboo Charcoal and Removal Capability of Harmful Gases”, Journal of Health Science, Vol. 48, Issue 6, pp. 473-479.