Pulse method for sulfur dioxide electrolysis
AssigneeJohn E. Stauffer
InventorJohn E. Stauffer
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Abstract
A process is provided for removing sulfur dioxide (SO.sub.2) from a waste gas stream by electrolysis using a pulsed electric current and recovering the sulfur values as sulfuric acid. The sources of the waste gas stream include effluent vent, flue or exhaust gases from power plants, sulfuric acid plants, ore roasters, and solid waste incnierators. The purpose of the process is to achieve economies of operation, provide a useful byproduct, and minimize environmental pollution.
Claims5
A process for the mitigation and control of air pollution caused by the emission of sulfur dioxide in effluent vent, flue or exhaust gas, said process comprising the removal of sulfur dioxide from a stream of such gas by scrubbing the gas in a column with aqueous sulfuric acid to solubilize and remove sulfur dioxide from the gas, said column containing electrically conductive packing material which serves both as a gas-liquid contact surface for scrubbing and as the electrochemically active surface of a bipolar electrode, and two electrical contacts arranged so that the bed of packing material is spaced between the contacts and is in electrical contact with said contacts;
- applying a pulsed electrical potential across said two contacts in excess of about 0.2 volts in order to effect electrolysis;
- and
- maintaining the concentration of the aqueous sulfuric acid by means of make-up water or acid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.