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A Review on Adsorption Technologies for Mercury Emission Control

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Abstract

This study summarized existing adsorption technologies for the removal of elemental mercury in the flue gas. Both carriers (e.g., active carbon (AC), pyrolyzed char, inorganic adsorbents and fly ash) and various modification methods (pore structure improvement, oxygen-containing functional groups addition and new active reagents impregnation) were compared to shed light on the development of future adsorption technology. AC and char possibly performed more mercury adsorption capacity (MAC) compared with fly ash and inorganic adsorbents since carbon atom existence was easier to form the active halogen groups (C–X) and oxygen containing groups. Though both pore structure improvement and chemical group formation improved the MAC of adsorbents, the chemical modification methods (oxygen-containing functional groups addition and new active reagents impregnation) were more effective. The impregnation of halogen, sulfur and metal chloride could distinctly form lots of active sites on the adsorbents and developed high effective mercury adsorbents. In the future, the adsorption researches possibly focus on SO2 and H2O resistance of adsorbents, separable adsorbents, low-cost chemical modification methods, and utilization potential of fly ash.

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Acknowledgements

This work was sponsored by National Key Research & Development Plan (2017YFC0210404) and National Science Foundation of China (21625701).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Guoliang Li, Qingru Wu, Liwen Xu, Minneng Wen, Kaiyun Liu, Yi Tang, Jing Zou, Fengyang Wang, Yu Wang & Shuxiao Wang

  2. State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Sources and Control of Air Pollution Complex, Beijing, 100084, China

    Guoliang Li, Qingru Wu, Liwen Xu, Minneng Wen, Kaiyun Liu, Yi Tang, Jing Zou, Fengyang Wang, Yu Wang & Shuxiao Wang

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  1. Guoliang Li
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  2. Qingru Wu
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  3. Liwen Xu
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  4. Minneng Wen
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  5. Kaiyun Liu
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  6. Yi Tang
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  7. Jing Zou
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  8. Fengyang Wang
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  9. Yu Wang
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  10. Shuxiao Wang
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Correspondence to Qingru Wu.

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Li, G., Wu, Q., Xu, L. et al. A Review on Adsorption Technologies for Mercury Emission Control. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 103, 155–162 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-019-02648-4

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