A New Sorbent for Removal of Mercury from Flue Gas: A Lower Cost Alternative to Activated Carbon-REVISED

The cost involved in reducing mercury emissions from coal fired power plants is an impediment to the implementation of new mercury emission standards, particularly in the older power plants. A number of different sorbent technologies have been considered in the recent past, the most prominent of them being activated carbon. However, the cost of the sorbent itself is high. Further, these treatments render the flay ash byproduct unusable in many cases, thereby negatively impacting the cost of mercury removal. This project aims at overcoming the cost barrier by developing a new class of inexpensive sorbents that will have high mercury removal efficiency. The sorbents will have exceptionally high surface area, possess chemical affinity for mercury atoms, and be stable at the use temperatures. Phase I will synthesize the sorbents, evaluate the mercury removal efficiency, evaluate the extent of bonding between the sorbent and the mercury atoms, and characterize the quality of the fly ash after incorporation of the sorbent. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: As demand for electricity continues to rise, the number of coal-fired power plants in the United States, as well as the output of existing plants, will increase. The new sorbent technology should fulfill the nation¿s increasing demand for reduced mercury emssion. In addition, the methodology also should be applicable to the removal of contaminants (e.g., Pb) from water and air.