PRODUCTION AND TESTING OF DIRECTLY PRECIPITATED SORBENTS FORFURNACE INJECTION TECHNOLOGIES

SEVERAL ACID GAS SORBENT INJECTION TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED IN RESPONSE TO FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL AIR QUALITY REGULATIONS. A PERCEIVED NEED EXISTS FOR FLUE GAS DESULFURIZATION PROCESSES THAT PROVIDE MODERATE SULFUR DIOXIDE REMOVALS, HAVE LOW CAPITAL COSTS, AND ARE RETROFITTABLE. CURRENTLY, FURNACE SORBENT INJECTION TECHNOLOGIES SUFFER FROM THE MAJOR PRACTICAL DISADVANTAGE THAT A LARGE FRACTION OF THE REAGENT IS NOT USED. THE COST OF ACID GAS CONTROL BY SORBENT INJECTION PROCESSES IS HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE SORBENT UTILIZATION, WHICH DICTATES THE AMOUNT OF RAW MATERIAL TO BE BOUGHT AND HANDLEDAND THE AMOUNT OF WASTE MATERIAL REQUIRING DISPOSAL. SORBENT UTILIZATION DEPENDS UPON PARTICLE SIZE-THE SMALLER THE PARTICLE, THE HIGHER THE UTILIZATION. PHASE I OF THIS PROJECT IS EVALUATING A PROCESS THAT PRODUCES A SLURRY OF VERY FINE, REACTIVE CALCIUM HYDROXIDE PARTICLES. DIRECT PRECIPITATION TECHNIQUES USED TO PREPARE FINE CERAMIC POWDERS ARE BEING USED TO GENERATE A SLURRY OF SUBMICRON CALCIUM HYDROXIDE PARTICLES. THE ABILITY OF THESE PARTICLESTO REMOVE SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO2) AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE (HCL) FROM COMBUSTION PRODUCTS IS BEING TESTED IN AN ISOTHERMAL REACTOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH. THE SLURRY CAN BE USED IN ANY OF THE CURRENT SORBENT INJECTION TECHNOLOGIES, INCLUDING THOSE BEING DEVELOPED AND DEMONSTRATED BY DOE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. IF IT IS COST EFFECTIVE, THE PROCESS HAS POTENTIAL FOR RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION.