Absorption of sulfur dioxide from simulated flue gas by polyethyleneimine-phosphoric acid solution

ABSTRACT

Clean fuel technologies have been widely developed in current society because fuel combustion can directly bring about the emission of hazardous gasses such as SO₂. Flue gas desulfurization by polyethyleneimine (PEI)-phosphoric acid solution is an efficient desulfurization method. In this research, the PEI and the additive H₃PO₄ were used as absorption solution. SO₂ was absorbed by the system and desorbed from the loaded solution. The cycle operation was also analyzed. Some technology conditions such as the concentration of PEI, the temperature, the gas flow rate, the concentration of SO₂ and the pH value were experimentally researched. With the optimized process, the absorption efficiency of this system could reach 98% and the desorption efficiency was over 60%, showing good absorption/desorption capability. With this efficient approach, the present study may open a new window for developing high-performance absorbents which can make SO₂ be well desorbed from the loaded solution and better reused in the flue gas desulfurization.

KEYWORDS:

• Polyethyleneimine
• desulfurization
• adsorption
• desorption
• flue gas

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Hebei Iron and Steel Joint Fund under [grant number B2016209303] and Hebei Provincial Education Department under [grant number Z2009431].