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Title: Hydration of spent limestone and dolomite to enhance sulfation in fluidized-bed combustion

Conference ·
OSTI ID:6472293

The utilization of CaO in fluidized bed combustion can be markedly increased to reduce the cost and environmental impact of quarrying and disposing of large quantities of solid waste. A new method of treatment of spent bed material to reactivate its SO/sub 2/ capturing ability has been found. Partially sulfated spent overflow material from a fluidized-bed combustor is treated with water and then reintroduced to the combustor as renewed feed that further reacts with SO/sub 2/. This material has sufficient physical integrity, due to the outer layer of CaSO/sub 4/, and high reactivity to make it suitable as a sorbent feedstock. The work reported here details observations on a number of limestones and dolomites reacted in laboratory furnaces under simulated combustion conditions as well as verification of the effectiveness of the method in a 15-cm-ID process development unit scale atmospheric fluidized-bed coal combustor. Initial kinetic studies have also been made on the hydration reaction of partially sulfated limestone. A proposed mechanism of interaction is discussed to explain the enhanced reactivity. Changes in total porosity and pore size distribution in the partially sulfated material due to Ca(OH)/sub 2/ formation and its dehydration serve to open up the particle interior and its residual CaO to further reaction with SO/sub 2/. Almost complete utilization of the available CaO can be achieved by successive applications of this promising new technique.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31-109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
6472293
Report Number(s):
CONF-800806-45; ON: DE81023124
Resource Relation:
Conference: 15. intersociety energy conversion engineering conference, Seattle, WA, USA, 18 Aug 1980
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English