Sulfur capture capacity of limestones in combustion gases: Effect of thermally induced cracking

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:254704

Liu, Ye; Morrison, J L; Scaroni, A W ^[1]

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1. Penn State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

Limestones and dolostones can be used in coal-fired, fluidized bed power plants as sorbents to capture SO{sub 2} from the combustion gases. The physical properties of calcined sorbents, especially pore size distributions, and the relationship between these properties and subsequent sulfur capture behavior have been subjects of extensive study. In general, calcines of limestones and calcines of dolostones differ not only in chemical composition, but more importantly in physical structure, and this is manifested as a difference in sulfation behavior. Prediction of the development of pore volume and characteristics upon calcination, is usually based on the chemical composition of the starting sorbents. These models predict that limestones and dolostones will have different pore structures during and after calcination. They also predict that two limestones or two dolostones with the same chemical compositions will have the same pore structures after calcination. However, there are numerous examples to show that the pore structures of calcined sorbents differ significantly from those predicted from chemical properties. The reasons for this, and the effect this has on sulfation behavior are not well understood. The work presented here is a study of the sulfur capture capacities of two limestones with high CaCO{sub 3} contents (99.4 and 98.5, respectively). The limestones are therefore chemically similar, however, they are petrographically different. Significant differences existed between the physical properties of the calcines and in their sulfation behavior. An explanation for the differences is presented.

• OSTI ID: 254704
• Report Number(s): CONF-940813--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
CALCINATION
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
COAL
COMBUSTION
LIMESTONE
PETROGRAPHY
PORE STRUCTURE
SORPTION
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
SULFATION
SULFUR DIOXIDE