Method for pollution emission reduction from glass melting furnaces

A method for reducing pollution emissions from a glass melting furnace exhaust gas stream which includes a gaseous sulfur oxide constituent and alkali metal salt particles, comprising the steps of:

• (a) injecting an alkaline earth metal containing sorbent dust or powder into a glass melting furnace exhaust gas stream containing polluting substances including sulfur compounds and alkali metal salts;
• (b) passing the exhaust gases from step (a) over a moving prereactor bed of first granules, wherein said alkaline earth metal-containing dust reacts with said sulfur compounds in the exhaust gases to form alkaline earth metal sulfite and sulfate salts, said salts being deposited on the granules in said moving bed and forming a layer of alkaline earth metal salts on said first granules in said moving bed;
• (c) electrostatically ionizing the exhaust gases exiting the moving bed from step (b);
• (d) passing the ionized exhaust gases over an electrostatic granular bed filter containing polarized second granules;
• (e) precipitating alkali metal salts on said polarized granules and depositing a layer of alkali metal salts on said second granules, thereby providing substantial reduction of sulfur and alkali metal salt precipitates in said exhaust stream;
• (f) periodically removing said first granules from said prereactor and second granules from said electrostatic granular bed filter, and mixing said first and second granules, thereby forming a mixture of granules containing alkaline earth metal salts and alkali metal salts;
• and
• (g) returning said mixed granules to said prereactor bed and said electrostatic granular bed filter.