The use of mathematical models for modelling sulphur dioxide sorption on materials produced from fly ashes

Abstract

Fly ash-derived zeolites may become an attractive alternative for natural zeolites as well as for zeolites produced out of pure chemicals. A growing awareness of the need to protect the environment is an incentive for the use of waste materials as raw materials for production of microporous, multi-application materials – zeolites. Additionally, environmentally friendly actions undertaken in order to reduce air pollution intensify needs to search for new options for capturing hazardous air pollutants out of flue gases. Zeolites can be used as air pollutants sorbents. In this work there are presented results of sulphur dioxide, one of flue gases components, sorption experiments. The adsorbent used was zeolite synthesized form fly ash from a selected Polish power plant. For the purpose of investigation there were chosen fly ash zeolite samples synthesised with the use of different methods. Parameters were selected in such a way that one type of zeolite material was received. For the purpose of description of received results the mathematical model was used. As a result of experiments carried out it was found that the synthesized materials may be used as sulphur dioxide sorbent. It was found that the sorption capacity is highly connected with the zeolite synthesis method. Despite the fact that the same type of zeolite was received, samples presented differentiated values for capture, due to different conversion factors of fly ash into zeolite materials.