ELEMENTAL MERCURY CAPTURE AND OXIDATION BY A REGENERABLE MANGANESE-BASED SORBENT: THE EFFECT OF GAS

A regenerable Mn-based sorbent was tested for Hg capture in a lab-scale quartz reactor operated at 50-250°C. The sorbent was tested in air (reference case), nitrogen and air with CO 2 , CO, NO, SO 2 and HCl. Results were analyzed in terms of the initial Hg removal rate. In the absence of oxygen, the sorbent gradually deteriorated its performance. CO 2 and CO moderately worsened the performance, while NO did not show any appreciable effect. SO 2 adversely impacted on the performance, leading to a permanent capacity loss. With HCl the sorbent both adsorbed Hg and catalyzed its heterogeneous oxidation giving an outstanding performance.