Pilot scale application of mercuric chloride adsorption onto darco FGD activated carbon

The main purpose of the present paper is the study of the divalent mercury adsorption phenomena by using a commercially available activated carbon (Norit Darco FGD). This research group has already carried out several studies on mercury adsorption, both in metallic and divalent form, on a laboratory scale apparatus, by using activated carbon, even impregnated within a fixed bed. This time, a new pilot-scale apparatus was used to adsorb divalent mercury chloride vapors, in which a solid carbon phase is dispersed in a continuous gaseous phase. Experimental results have been carried out by varying the following parameters in the indicated range: reactor temperature (Tr, 120 to 135°C); initial mercury concentration (cHgin, 1000 to 2000 g\/m3); initial total gas flowrate (Qt, 27.8 to 62.3 m3\/h), at a fixed carbon flowrate (Mc, 6 g\/h). The activated carbon efficiency removals have been estimated, showing very promising results.