Method for removing undesired particles from gas streams

A process for removing undesired particles from a gas stream, comprising:

• contacting said gas stream with a plurality of droplets of liquid phosphoric acid to entrain said plurality of droplets in said gas stream, said plurality of droplets having a Sauter Mean Diameter ranging from about 1 to about 10 microns to suspend said plurality of droplets in said gas stream;
• thereafter maintaining at least most of said plurality of droplets in the liquid phase while said plurality of droplets of liquid phosphoric acid are entrained in said gas stream;
• and
• thereafter contacting said undesired particles and plurality of liquid phosphoric acid droplets with a filtration surface to form an agglomerate on said filtration surface wherein the filtration surface has a temperature greater than the dew point of water.

A process for removing undesired particles from a gas stream, comprising:

• contacting said gas stream with a plurality of droplets comprising a fluid composition including liquid phosphoric acid;
• maintaining thereafter the liquid phosphoric acid in the plurality of droplets in the liquid phase such that the gas stream is substantially free of vaporized phosphoric acid derived from the plurality of droplets;
• and
• collecting said undesired particles and liquid phosphoric acid on a collection surface to form an agglomerate wherein said liquid phosphoric acid alters at least one of the undesired particle resistivity and undesired particle cohesiveness and wherein the collection surface has a temperature greater than the dew point of water.

A process of removing undesired particles from a gas stream, comprising:

• contacting a gas stream containing undesired particles with a plurality of droplets comprising a liquid phosphorous-containing additive for altering at least one of the undesired particle resistivity and undesired particle cohesiveness;
• maintaining, after the contacting step, at least most of the liquid phosphorous-containing additive in the plurality of droplets in the liquid phase;
• and
• collecting said undesired particles and liquid phosphorous-containing additive in the liquid phase on a collection surface to form an agglomerate wherein the collection surface has a temperature greater than the dew point of water and the liquid phosphorous-containing additive is substantially free of vaporization and condensation during the maintaining and collecting steps.

A process for removing undesired particles from a gas stream, comprising:

• contacting said gas stream with a plurality of droplets comprising a fluid composition including liquid phosphoric acid and a carrier fluid, wherein said plurality of droplets have a first Sauter Mean Diameter of more than about 20 microns;
• vaporizing said carrier fluid from said plurality of droplets to reduce said droplet size to a second Sauter Mean Diameter of no more than about 10 microns while maintaining at least most of the liquid phosphoric acid in the liquid phase;
• and
• contacting said undesired particles and liquid phosphoric acid in the liquid phase on a collection surface to form an agglomerate, wherein the liquid phosphoric acid is substantially free of phosphoric acid vaporization and condensation during the vaporizing and contacting steps, wherein the collection surface has a temperature greater than the dew point of water, wherein, upon contact of the liquid phosphoric acid and undesired particles with the collection surface, at least most of the liquid phosphoric acid and undesired particles are free from contact with one another and wherein said liquid phosphoric acid alters at least one of the undesired particle resistivity and undesired particle cohesiveness.