Evaluation of Energy Consumption in the Mercury Treatment of Phosphor Powder from Spent Fluorescent Lamps Using a Thermal Process

Yong Choi and Seung-Whee Rhee
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Yong Choi: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Kyonggi University, 154-42, Gwanggyosan-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Gyeonggi-do 16227, Korea
Seung-Whee Rhee: Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Kyonggi University, 154-42, Gwanggyosan-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Gyeonggi-do 16227, Korea

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 11, 1-10

Abstract: In a pilot-plant-scale thermal mercury treatment of phosphor powder from spent fluorescent lamps, energy consumption was estimated to control mercury content by the consideration of reaction kinetics. Mercury content was analyzed as a function of treatment temperature and time. The initial mercury content of the phosphor powder used in the thermal process was approximately 3500 mg/kg. The target mercury content in the phosphor powder thermal process of the phosphor powder was 5 mg/kg or less at 400 °C or higher because the target mercury content was recommended by Minamata Convention and Basel Convention. During thermal processing, the reaction rate was represented by a first order reaction with the Arrhenius equation. The reaction rate constant increased with temperature from 0.0112 min −1 at 350 °C to 0.0558 min −1 at 600 °C. The frequency factor was 2.51 min −1 , and the activation energy was 6509.11 kcal/kg. Reaction rate constants were used to evaluate the treatment time required to reduce mercury content in phosphor powder to be less than 5 mg/kg. The total energy consumption in a pilot-plant-scale thermal process was evaluated to determine the optimal temperature for removing mercury in phosphor powder.

Keywords: phosphor powder; thermal process; energy consumption; mercury treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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