Method for removal and stabilization of mercury in mercury-containing gas streams
AssigneeADA Technologies, Inc.
InventorThomas E. Broderick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a process and apparatus for removing and stabilizing mercury from mercury-containing gas streams. A gas stream containing vapor phase elemental and/or speciated mercury is contacted with reagent, such as an oxygen-containing oxidant, in a liquid environment to form a mercury-containing precipitate. The mercury-containing precipitate is kept or placed in solution and reacts with one or more additional reagents to form a solid, stable mercury-containing compound.
Claims57
A scrubber for removing mercury from a gas stream, comprising:
- a gas scrubbing zone operable to contact a scrubbing solution with the gas stream to form a mercury-containing precipitate in a mercury-containing solution, wherein the mercury-containing solution comprises at least most of the mercury in the gas stream and the mercury-containing precipitate comprises predominantly mercury and oxygen;
- and
- a collection zone operable to collect the mercury-containing solution, wherein in the mercury-containing solution at least most of the mercury is in the form of a precipitate.
A process for removing mercury from a gas stream, comprising:
- (a) contacting a scrubbing solution with a mercury-containing gas stream to form a mercury-containing precipitate in a mercury-containing solution and a treated gas stream, the mercury-containing precipitate comprising predominantly mercury and oxygen;
- and
- (b) collecting the mercury-containing solution, wherein the mercury-containing solution contains at least most of the mercury from the mercury-containing gas stream and, in the mercury-containing solution, at least most of the mercury is in the form of a precipitate.
A system for stabilizing mercury in a mercury-containing gas stream, comprising:
- (a) a scrubber having:
- (i) a gas scrubbing zone operable to contact a scrubbing solution with the gas stream to form a mercury-containing precipitate in a mercury-containing solution, wherein the mercury-containing solution comprises at least most of the mercury in the gas stream, and the mercury-containing precipitate comprises predominantly a compound of mercury and oxygen;
- and
- (ii) a collection zone operable to collect the mercury-containing solution, wherein, in the mercury-containing solution, at least most of the mercury is in the form of a precipitate;
- (b) a solid/liquid separator operable to separate the mercury-containing precipitates from the mercury-containing solution;
- and
- (c) a mercury stabilization reactor operable to convert the recovered mercury-containing precipitates into a compound of mercury and sulfur.
In a scrubber for removing mercury from a mercury-containing gas stream, an aqueous scrubbing solution comprising:
- at least about 0.1 percent by weight of an oxygen-containing oxidant in a solution having a pH of over approximately pH 9 to convert the mercury to a substantially insoluble compound of mercury and oxygen.
A process for stabilizing mercury in a mercury-containing gas stream, comprising:
- (a) contacting a mercury-containing gas stream with a scrubbing solution to form a treated gas stream and a mercury-containing solid in a mercury-containing solution, the mercury-containing solution comprising at least most of the mercury in the mercury-containing gas stream and the mercury-containing solid comprising predominantly a compound of mercury and oxygen;
- and
- (b) converting at least most of the mercury in the mercury-containing solution into a compound of mercury and sulfur.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.