NOX and SOX Flue Gas Treatment System Based on Sulfur-Enriched Organic Oil in Water Emulsion

Abstract

Nitrogen (NOX) and sulfur (SOX) oxides, the major gaseous pollutants emitted from fossil fuel combustion, have significant health and environmental concerns. Environmental regulations limit these pollutant emissions to tolerable levels. Currently, these pollutants are treated by flue gas desulfurization (SOX removal) and selective catalytic reduction (NOX removal) processes. However, these technologies require large footprints, use expensive catalysts, and operate under high working temperatures. A new catalyst is reported herein, based on sulfur-enriched oil emulsified with water, where the active catalytic species are sulfur-based oxides. The catalyst has been developed using O2 as the oxidation reagent in a low-temperature wet scrubber rather than H2O2 or O3 that are presently used. The catalytically oxidized pollutants are converted to produce ammonium fertilizers by NH4OH addition. As a result of treatment with this novel catalyst, we observed reductions in emissions of SOX and NOX of >85% and 23%, respectively. The catalyst production and the wet scrubbing process are discussed in detail.