Sulfur chemistry in smelter and power plant plumes in the western US

Technical Report · Thu Oct 30 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6300701

Eatough, D J; Richter, B E; Eatough, N L; Hansen, L D

Results are reported for studies of SO/sub 2/(g) to particle conversion in the plume of a copper smelter and two coal-fired power plants located in the Great Basin desert region and an oil-fired power plant located on the California coast. Daytime formation H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ from SO/sub 2/(g) is dominated by a reaction which is first order in SO/sub 2/(g) and is temperature dependent, the rate of reaction increasing with increasing temperature. Neutralization of the H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ is limited only by the rate of introduction of basic material from ambient air. NH/sub 3/ is not the principal base present except on the California coast. Metal oxides and carbonates (e.g., CaCO/sub 3/) are the predominant bases present in the inland desert areas. Two different classes of aerosol S(IV) compounds are formed from the interaction of SO/sub 2/(g) with particulate matter, organic S(IV) species which can hydrolyze to give sulfite and inorganic S(IV) complexes. The inorganic species predominate in smelter plumes while formation of both the inorganic and the organic S(IV) compounds occurs in plumes from combustion of fossil fuels. Formation of the inorganic S(IV) complex is equilibrium controlled and is favored by high SO/sub 2/(g) and soluble aerosol Fe and Cu concentrations and by low aerosol acidity. Formation of the organic S(IV) compound follows first order in SO/sub 2/(g) reaction kinetics with the rate being inversely proportional to absolute humidity. The relative amounts of sulfate and the two classes of S(IV) compounds are dependent on the ambient temperature and humidity. Formation of the organic S(IV) compound predominates under cold dry conditions while formation of sulfate predominates when the air mass is warm and moist.

• Research Organization: Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-80EV10405
• OSTI ID: 6300701
• Report Number(s): DOE/EV/10405-5; ON: DE81029014
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOLS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ARID LANDS
CALCIUM CARBONATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CARBONATES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
COAL
COASTAL REGIONS
COLLOIDS
COPPER
COPPER ORES
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DESERTS
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FOSSIL FUELS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
HUMIDITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
IRON
KINETICS
MATERIALS
METALS
MONITORING
NUMERICAL DATA
ORES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM
PH VALUE
PLUMES
POWER PLANTS
REACTION KINETICS
SMELTERS
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFURIC ACID
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS