Dolomite attrition during fluidized-bed calcination and sulfation

The attrition behavior of a dolomite during fluidized-bed calcination and sulfation was investigated in a bench-scale apparatus. Operating conditions of the bed were those typical of atmospheric bubbling fluidized-bed combustion. Batchwise experiments were carried out in order to study the influence of the chemical reactions on the parallel phenomena of particle fragmentation and abrasion in the bed. To this end changes of particle size distribution and fines elutriation rates were followed throughout conversion during both sequential and simultaneous calcination and sulfation. The study was complemented by SEM=EDX analysis of polished sulfated particle cross sections in order to relate the sorbent attrition propensity to the changes of particle morphology upon sulfation.