Sorbents for the oxidation and removal of mercury

A method of separating mercury from a mercury-containing gas, the method comprising:

• combusting in a combustion chamber
• coal fed to the combustion chamber, and
• a halogen or halide promoter, a promoter precursor that transforms into the promoter, or combination thereof, added to the coal, added to the combustion chamber, or a combination thereof,
• to provide the mercury-containing gas, wherein
• the mercury-containing gas comprises the halogen or halide promoter,
• the halogen or halide promoter and promoter precursor comprises chlorine (Cl2), chloride (Cl−), bromine (Br2), bromide (Br−), iodine (I2), iodide (I−), or a combination thereof, and
• the Cl2, Cl−, Br2, Br−, I2, I−, or the combination thereof added to the combustion chamber, added to the coal, or a combination thereof is about 0.001 wt % to about 30 wt % of a sorbent material added to the mercury-containing gas;
• adding an ammonium salt into the mercury-containing gas;
• adding the sorbent material into the mercury-containing gas downstream of the combustion chamber such that the sorbent material contacts the halogen or halide promoter in the mercury-containing gas;
• contacting mercury in the mercury-containing gas with the sorbent material, to form a mercury/sorbent composition;
• and
• separating the mercury/sorbent composition from the mercury-containing gas.

A method of separating mercury from a mercury-containing gas, the method comprising:

• combusting in a combustion chamber
• coal fed to the combustion chamber, and
• a halogen or halide promoter, a promoter precursor that transforms into the promoter, or combination thereof, added to the coal, added to the combustion chamber, or a combination thereof,
• to provide the mercury-containing gas, wherein
• the mercury-containing gas comprises the halogen or halide promoter,
• the halogen or halide promoter and promoter precursor comprises chlorine (Cl2), chloride (Cl−), bromine (Br2), bromide (Br−), iodine (I2), iodide (I−), or a combination thereof, and
• the Cl2, Cl−, Br2, Br−, I2, I−, or the combination thereof added to the combustion chamber, added to the coal, or a combination thereof is about 1 to about 3000 ppmw per weight of the coal fed to the combustion chamber, or
• the Cl2, Cl−, Br2, Br−, I2, I−, or the combination thereof added to the combustion chamber, added to the coal, or a combination thereof is about 0.001 wt % to about 30 wt % of a sorbent material added to the mercury-containing gas, or
• a combination thereof;
• adding an ammonium salt into the mercury-containing gas;
• adding the sorbent material into the mercury-containing gas downstream of the combustion chamber such that the sorbent material contacts the halogen or halide promoter in the mercury-containing gas;
• contacting mercury in the mercury-containing gas with the sorbent material, to form a mercury/sorbent composition;
• and
• separating the mercury/sorbent composition from the mercury-containing gas.