Removal of Mercury and Nitrogen Oxides from Flue Gas

This technology is a catalytic bed that simultaneously removes mercury and nitrogen oxides from coal fired flue gas. Elemental mercury is removed using a composite catalyst by oxidation followed by wet-scrubbing of the oxidized mercury; testing in laboratory conditions using simulated flue gas showed 100% removal of the elemental mercury. In addition to the benefit of removing mercury this technology also benefits commercial applications due to its ability to operate at lower flue gas temperatures which indirectly reduces the size of the catalytic bed required for efficient operation. Its low-temperature activity also enables the catalyst bed to be installed downstream of the particulate control devices so that catalyst fouling and poisoning can be significantly reduced. Further research is being conducted on the optimization and removal of nitrogen oxides.