Method and composition for decreasing emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides

A process for reducing emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from the combustion of coal, comprising:

• (a) forming a fuel material comprising refined particulate coal;
• a sulfur sorbent comprising calcium and magnesium, said sulfur sorbent present in an amount effective to reduce sulfur oxides emissions upon combustion of said fuel material;
• a sulfation promoter being present in an amount effective to increase reductions of sulfur oxides emissions by said sulfur sorbent;
• and a catalyst for converting sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, said catalyst being present in an amount effective to increase sulfur oxides reduction by said magnesium component of said sorbent;
• (b) providing an oxygen restricted combustion zone;
• (c) introducing said fuel material into said combustion zone;
• and
• (d) combusting said fuel material at a combustion temperature to produce combustion products.

A self-scrubbing carbonaceous fuel composition, said composition producing reduced emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides on combustion, said composition comprising:

• (a) at least about sixty percent by weight refined particulate coal having a pyritic sulfur content, wherein said pyritic sulfur content is less than about one percent by weight of said coal;
• (b) a sulfur sorbent comprising a calcium and a magnesium component, wherein said calcium component includes material selected from the group consisting of lime, limestone, hydrated lime, dolomite, burnt dolomite, pressure hydrated burnt dolomite, and mixtures thereof, and wherein said sulfur sorbent is present in an amount sufficient to provide a calcium to total sulfur content molar ratio of at least about 1;
• (c) a sulfation promoter present in amounts equal to at least about one percent by weight of said sulfur sorbent, wherein said sulfation promoter comprises material selected from the group consisting of Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3, NaHCO.sub.3, K.sub.2 CO.sub.3, Li.sub.2 CO.sub.3, Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4, MoO.sub.3, V.sub.2 O.sub.5, TiO.sub.2, Pt, P.sub.2 O.sub.5, NaCl, KHCO.sub.3, K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and mixtures thereof;
• and
• (d) a catalyst for converting sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide in an amount effective to increase sulfur oxides reduction by said magnesium component of said sorbent, wherein said catalyst comprises material selected from the group consisting of platinum, nickel sulfate, cobalt sulfate, vanadium oxides, tungsten oxides, chromium oxides, molybdenum oxides, iron oxides, and mixtures thereof.