Determination of sulfur speciation in industrial aerosols in an SO/sub 2/-rich environment. Progress report, June 1, 1980-July 15, 1981

Technical Report · Thu Jul 30 04:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6413521

Eatough, D J

The major conclusions of this study are: inorganic and organic S(IV) compounds are generally not present in primary emissions from coal or oil fired plants but are formed in the plumes emitted by these facilities; the formation of sulfate from SO/sub 2/(g) in the daytime follows kinetics which are first order in SO/sub 2/(g) and are temperature dependent; organic S(IV) compounds are formed in the plumes of the coal and oil fired power plants by a process which is first order in SO/sub 2/(g). The k/sub 1/ value for this formation reaction may be inversely related to absolute atmospheric humidity. The results obtained suggest that the maximum rate for this reaction in plumes may be about 3% SO/sub 2/ hr/sup -1/; dimethyl and/or monomethyl sulfate have been shown to be present in both flue line and plume samples from coal and oil fired power plants; methylated sulfates are formed during plume transport in the plumes of the power plants studied. The data are adequately described by a process which is first order in SO/sub 2/(g); the use of calorimetry, ion chromatography, colorimetry, proton induced x-ray emission analysis and (where applicable) capillary or packed column gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy to analyze for sulfate, sulfuric acid, inorganic-S(IV), organic S(IV) and methylated sulfates in collected particulate samples has been studied. It has been shown that artifact problems exist in these techniques which must be considered in doing detailed chemical characterization of the sulfur compounds produced by the combustion of fossil fuels; and the chemical structure of the organic S(IV) compound has been tentatively established. Results obtained to date indicate that the organic S(IV) found in plume particulate matter resulting from the combustion of coal or oil is a cyclic sulfite formed by reaction of SO/sub 2/(g) and ethylene ozonide.

• Research Organization: Brigham Young Univ., Provo, UT (USA). Thermochemical Inst.
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-80EV10405
• OSTI ID: 6413521
• Report Number(s): DOE/EV/10405-T1; ON: DE81029026
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
200202 -- Fossil-Fueled Power Plants-- Waste Management-- Noxious Gas & Particulate Emissions
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400104 -- Spectral Procedures-- (-1987)
400105 -- Separation Procedures
500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AEROSOL MONITORING
AEROSOLS
CALORIMETRY
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
ESTERS
FLUE GAS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
GASEOUS WASTES
HUMIDITY
KINETICS
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
MONITORING
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PIXE ANALYSIS
PLUMES
POWER PLANTS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
REACTION KINETICS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLS
SPECTROSCOPY
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFURIC ACID ESTERS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTES
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS