Method for removal and stabilization of mercury in mercury-containing gas streams
First Claim
Patent Images
1. 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.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
340 Citations
57 Claims
-
1. 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. 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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
-
-
38. 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. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
-
-
50. 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. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52)
-
53. 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. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57)
-
Specification