Qualitative Prediction of Sorbent Performance for Mercury Capture by Lab-Scale Tests

It would be desirable to have a simple and inexpensive test for predicting sorbent performance for mercury capture in coal-burning power plants and in integrated gasification-combined cycle (IGCC) facilities. Several lab-scale packed bed reactors have been employed to screen sorbents for the removal of mercury from coal-derived flue and fuel gases. The reactors have used either simulated flue or fuel gas mixtures, or slipstreams from coal-utilizing facilities.

Simple packed bed reactors have the potential to qualitatively predict the performance of sorbents in actual flue or fuel gas. This predictive capability exists despite the fact that the contact time and gas composition may differ significantly from the full-scale application. The performance of different sorbents for mercury removal will be compared under both lab and full-scale conditions. Future research towards the goal of a simple index test to determine full-scale sorbent performance will be discussed.