Arsenic and Selenium Capture by Fly Ashes at Low Temperature

Arsenic and selenium compounds may be emitted to the environment during coal conversion processes, although some compounds are retained in the fly ashes, in different proportions depending on the characteristics of the ashes and process conditions. The possibility of optimizing the conditions to achieve better trace element retention appears to be an attractive, economical option for reducing toxic emissions. This approach requires a good knowledge of fly ash characteristics and a thorough understanding of the capture mechanism involved in the retention. In this work the ability of two fly ashes, one produced in pulverized coal combustion and the other in fluidized bed combustion, to retain arsenic and selenium compounds from the gas phase in coal combustion and coal gasification atmospheres was investigated. To explore the possible simultaneous retention of mercury, the influence of the unburned coal particle content was also evaluated. Retention capacities between 2 and 22 mg g-1 were obtained under different conditions. The unburned coal particle content in the fly ash samples does not significantly modify retention capacities.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: López Antón, María Antonia, Díaz Somoano, Mercedes, Spears, Alan D., Martínez Tarazona, María Rosa
Format: artículo biblioteca
Language:English
Published: American Chemical Society 2006-05-17
Subjects:Fly ash, Unburned carbon, Mineral matter, Arsenic, Selenium,
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/127608
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