Nanosized cation-deficient Fe-Ti spinel: a novel magnetic sorbent for elemental mercury capture from flue gas

Nonstoichiometric Fe-Ti spinel (Fe(3-x)Ti(x))(1-δ)O(4) has a large amount of cation vacancies on the surface, which may provide active sites for pollutant adsorption. Meanwhile, its magnetic property makes it separable from the complex multiphase system for recycling, and for safe disposal of the adsorbed toxin. Therefore, (Fe(3-x)Ti(x))(1-δ)O(4) may be a promising sorbent in environmental applications. Herein, (Fe(3-x)Ti(x))(1-δ)O(4) is used as a magnetically separable sorbent for elemental mercury capture from the flue gas of coal-fired power plants. (Fe(2)Ti)(0.8)O(4) shows a moderate capacity (about 1.0 mg g(-1) at 250 °C) for elemental mercury capture in the presence of 1000 ppmv of SO(2). Meanwhile, the sorbent can be readily separated from the fly ash using magnetic separation, leaving the fly ash essentially free of sorbent and adsorbed mercury.