Pretreatment and regeneration of oxides of manganese

A process for pretreatment of virgin oxides of manganese for use as a sorbent to remove target pollutants from a gas stream, comprising the steps of:

• a. washing virgin oxides of manganese in a rapid filtration wash unit with an aqueous oxidizing solution to form a filtrate and a pretreated oxides of manganese filter cake, the solution having Eh and pH values within the MnO2 stability area;
• and
• b. removing the pretreated oxides of manganese filter cake from the rapid filtration unit, the oxides of manganese of the filter cake having a pollutant loading capacity greater that the pollutant loading capacity of the virgin oxides of manganese.

A process for regeneration of loaded oxides of manganese formed through reaction between unreacted oxides of a manganese and target pollutants in a gas stream, comprising the steps of:

• a. washing loaded oxides of manganese in a rapid filtration wash unit with an aqueous oxidizing solution having Eh and pH values within the MnO2 stability area to form a filtrate and a regenerated oxides of manganese filter cake;
• and
• b. removing the regenerated oxides of manganese filter cake from the rapid filtration unit, the oxides of manganese of the filter cake having a pollutant loading capacity equal to or greater than the pollutant loading capacity of the unreacted oxides of manganese from which the loaded oxides of manganese are formed.

A process for regeneration of loaded oxides of manganese sorbent particles bearing a reaction product layer of the surface thereof formed during reaction between unreacted oxides of manganese sorbent particles and target pollutants in a gas stream in a pollution removal system, comprising the steps of:

• a. rapidly washing and filtering the loaded oxides of manganese sorbent particles in a rapid filtration wash unit with an aqueous oxidizing solution to dissolve the reaction product layer from the surface of the loaded oxides of manganese sorbent particles into the solution to form a filtrate and a regenerated oxides of manganese filter cake, the solution having Eh and pH values within the MnO2 stability area;
• and
• b. removing the regenerated oxides of manganese filter cake from the rapid filtration unit, the oxides of manganese of the filter cake having a pollutant loading capacity equal to or greater than the pollutant loading capacity of the unreacted oxides of manganese sorbent particles from which the loaded oxides of manganese sorbent particles are formed.