Experimental study on elemental mercury removal by diperiodatonickelate (IV) solution

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Industrial flue gases contain toxic pollutants like elemental mercury (Hg(0)), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen oxide (NO).
• Effective removal of these pollutants is crucial for environmental protection and regulatory compliance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and investigate a novel method for removing elemental mercury from simulated flue gas using a diperiodatonickelate (IV) solution.
• To assess the simultaneous removal of SO₂ and NO under various experimental conditions.

Main Methods:

• A bubbling reactor was used to test the removal efficiency of elemental mercury.
• Influencing factors including diperiodatonickelate (IV) concentration, temperature, pH, and initial pollutant concentrations were systematically investigated.

Main Results:

• An 86.2% removal efficiency for elemental mercury was achieved.
• Under optimal conditions (6 × 10⁻³ mol/L diperiodatonickelate (IV), 50°C, pH 8.5, 20 μg/m³ Hg(0)), simultaneous removal of 98% SO₂ and 56.2% NO was observed.
• A reaction mechanism for Hg(0) removal was proposed based on product analysis.

Conclusions:

• Diperiodatonickelate (IV) solution presents a promising method for the simultaneous removal of Hg(0), SO₂, and NO from flue gas.
• The proposed reaction mechanism provides insight into the chemical processes involved in mercury removal.