DRY SCRUBBING OF SOX AND NOX OVER LANTHANIDE-OXYGEN- SULFUR COMPOUNDS

EXISTING PROCESSES FOR COMBINED REMOVAL OF SOX/NOX FROM COMBUSTION GASES HAVE NOT BEEN PROVEN TO BE PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE IN MEETING CURRENT EMISSION STANDARDS. SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTIONS FOR NOX REMOVAL ARE AVAILABLE, AND ARE EFFECTIVE IN REACHING CURRENT EMISSION STANDARDS, BUT THEY ARE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE IN MANY APPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH INITIAL COST OF THE CATALYST AND ITS REPLACEMENT. ELECTROCHEM PROPOSES TO INVESTIGATE CERIUM OXIDE DOPED WITH LANTHANUM OXIDE AND/OR STRONTIUM OXIDE TO (1) DEVELOP A SORBENT CAPABLE OF 90% OR MORE DESULFURIZATION OF FLUE GASES TYPICAL OF THOSE OBTAINED BY THE COMBUSTION OF RUN-OF-MINE HIGH SULFUR COAL, (2) STUDY THE RATES OF SULFATION AT HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 350 TO 750 DEGREES C, (3) DEMONSTRATE THAT THE SULFATED CERIUM OXIDE CAN BE REGENERATED WITH THE RELEASE OF CONCENTRATED SO2 WHICH CAN BE ECONOMICALLY CONVERTED TO ELEMENTAL SULFUR OR SULFURIC ACID, AND (4) DEMONSTRATE THAT CERIUM SULFATE CAN BE AN INEXPENSIVE CATALYST FOR THE REDUCTION OF NOX. THIS PROPOSAL DEALS SPECIFICALLY WITH IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY FOR THE REMOVAL OF SO2 AND NOX FROM OFFGASES GENERATED BY THE COMBUSTION OF FUELS IN BOILERS, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES, AND FROM INTEGRATED GASIFIER COMBINED CYCLE (IGCC) POWER PLANTS.