Potential hazards of novel waste-derived sorbents for efficient removal of mercury from coal combustion flue gas

Novel waste-derived sorbents synthesized through one-step co-pyrolysis of wood and PVC (or brominated flame retarded plastic) were demonstrated as cost-effective sorbents for mercury (Hg) removal in our previous studies. To introduce magnetism and improve porosity, Fe species were further doped into such waste-derived sorbents. The ultimate fate of Hg-laden sorbents after their service is mainly disposed in landfill. Therefore, the stability of Hg/halogens on the spent sorbents is an important topic. In this work, the leachability of Hg/Cl/Br from four waste-derived sorbents was evaluated using toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP). Three traditional sorbents (Cl-impregnated activated carbon, Br-impregnated activated carbon and commercial activated carbon) were also tested for comparison. Experimental results suggested that the stability of Hg/Cl/Br on four wastederived sorbents was far higher than that prepared by chemical impregnation. For four waste-derived sorbents, little Hg was leached out whereas certain amounts of Cl/Br escaped into the leachate. Interestingly, Fedoping effectively improved the stability of Hg/Cl/Br on the waste-derived sorbents. Kinetic analysis revealed that diffusion process and surface chemical reaction were respectively the rate-limiting step for waste-derived sorbents before and after Fe-doping. Water-washing pretreatment could remove loosely-bonded Cl/Br from the waste-derived sorbents, while the Cl/Br essential for Hg removal was retained.