Utilization of metal oxide-containing waste materials for hot coal gas desulfurization

Four metal oxide waste materials from metal processing operations and one coal bottom ash sample were procured and their reactivities toward hydrogen sulfide (H,S) were evaluated in the temperature range of 400 degreesC to 600 degreesC. A low-cost sorbent pelletization/granulation technique was applied to produce preliminary sorbent formulations in the form of attrition-resistant granules that were also evaluated, The results indicate that sorbents based on an iron oxide waste material, in the as-received as well as processed form, were the most reactive and exhibited the highest effective capacities for sulfur. The regeneration of these sorbents could be carried out over a relatively moderate temperature range, suggesting that the iron oxide waste material might be a viable candidate for the development of low-cost regenerable sorbents for HIS removal from hot coal gases under conditions of current practical interest. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.