The Release and Reduction of Mercury from Solid Fuels through Thermal Treatment Prior to Combustion

Edyta Misztal (), Tomasz Chmielniak, Izabela Mazur () and Marcin Sajdak ()
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Edyta Misztal: Institute of Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (ITPE), Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland
Tomasz Chmielniak: Institute of Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (ITPE), Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland
Izabela Mazur: Institute of Energy and Fuel Processing Technology (ITPE), Zamkowa 1, 41-803 Zabrze, Poland
Marcin Sajdak: Department of Air Protection, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 21, 1-12

Abstract: The main source of mercury (Hg) anthropogenic emissions is the combustion of hard and lignite coal in power plants. Reduction of Hg emissions from coal-based power production systems involves Hg removal from the fuel before combustion/gasification by thermal treatment (i.e., low-temperature pyrolysis). Herein, we present the results of laboratory and bench-scale studies on Hg removal from coal via thermal fuel treatment. The influence of the process temperature and coal residence time in the reaction zone on Hg removal efficiency and fuel parameters is studied. The properties of the process products are analyzed as follows: proximate and ultimate analysis for solids as well as H 2, N 2, CO, CO 2, CH 4 , organic compounds C2–C5, density, and HHV for gaseous. The results show a substantial reduction of Hg in the fuel using a low-temperature pyrolysis process. At moderate pyrolysis temperature provided Hg removal efficiencies of up to 50% for hard coal and over 90% for lignite, with a moderate decrease in the chemical enthalpy of the fuel.

Keywords: coal; pyrolysis; mercury removal (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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