Nitrogen oxides (NOx � mainly NO2 and NO) and sulfur oxides (SOx � mainly SO2) are the most prominent acid gases emitted from the burning of fossil fuel, especially from the coal-fired power plants, and are responsible for widespread air pollution related health problems, acid rains and other environmental hazards. Of these oxides, NO2 and SO2 are very soluble in water and can be separated easily from the flue gases by wet scrubbing. However, nitric oxide (NO) is sparingly soluble in water and cannot be separated easily. The commonly practiced methods of removing NO such as selective catalytic and non-catalytic processes have high capital costs and undesirable problems with high temperatures and handling of harmful chemicals. Therefore, alternative cost-effective and environmentally friendlier processes, such as scrubbing with suitable aqueous solutions of strong oxidizing agents capable are of current interest. In this study, the removal of NO from simulated flue gas in a bubble column reactor is investigated using combined aqueous persulfate (Na2S2O8) and ferrous ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (FeII-EDTA) systems. The results show significant improvement in NO removal compared with thermally and Fe2+ activated persulfate systems. Almost 100% NO conversion was achieved at 70 0C compared to temperature and Fe2+-activated persulfate systems, which could attain 100% conversions only at = 90 0C, suggesting the possibility of significant reduction in energy costs. Also, the pH for optimal NO removal was found to be near neutral (~6.5). The chemistry and mechanistic aspects of the NOx absorption and oxidation of NOX by aqueous persulfate will be discussed.References:     Adewuyi, Y.G.;Khan, M.A.;Sakyi, N.Y. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2014, 53, 828.Adewuyi, Y.G.;Sakyi, N.Y. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2013, 52, 11702.Adewuyi, Y.G.;Sakyi, N.Y.  Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2013, 52, 14687.Khan, N.E.; Adewuyi, Y.G.  Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2010, 49, 8749.

Removal of nitric oxide from flue gases by combined aqueous persulfate and ferrous-EDTA systems

248th National Meeting (2014)

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