Fixed-bed studies of the interactions between mercury and coal combustion fly ash

Abstract

Sixteen different fly ash samples, generated from both pilot-scale and full-scale combustion systems, were exposed to a simulated flue gas containing either elemental mercury or HgCl 2 in a bench-scale reactor system at the Energy and Environmental Research Center to evaluate the interactions and determine the effects of temperature, mercury species, and ash type on adsorption of mercury and oxidation of elemental mercury. The fly ash samples were characterized for surface area, loss on ignition, and forms of iron in the ash. While many of the ash samples oxidized elemental mercury, not all of the samples that oxidized mercury also captured elemental mercury. However, no capture of elemental mercury was observed without accompanying oxidation. Generally, oxidation of elemental mercury increased with increasing amount of magnetite in the ash. However, one high-carbon subbituminous ash with no magnetite showed considerable mercury oxidation that may have been due to unburned carbon. Surface area as well as the nature of the surface appeared to be important for oxidation and adsorption of elemental mercury. The capacity of the ash samples for HgCl 2 was similar to that for elemental mercury. There was a good correlation between the capacity for HgCl 2 and the surface area; capacity decreased with increasing temperature.