Simultaneous removal of SO2 and NO2 using a Mg-Al oxide slurry treatment

SO2 and NO2 were simultaneously removed from a mixed gas using a Mg-Al oxide slurry treatment. Both adsorption to the oxide material itself and dissolution of the gases in the aqueous slurry contributed to the removal. A comparison was made between removal of the two gases separately and the simultaneous process. The removal of SO2 using both the simultaneous and individual process was similar; however, the removal of NO2 was lower for the simultaneous process. For the individual treatments, SO2 and NO2 were separately dissolved in the Mg-Al oxide slurry to produce SO3(2-), NO2(-), and NO3(-), which were subsequently removed by the Mg-Al oxide. However, when the simultaneous process was employed, the dissolved gases were seen to have a significant effect on each other. It was speculated that the production of NO2(-) was increased by the reduction of NO2 by SO3(2-). On increasing the quantity of the Mg-Al oxide, or on raising the temperature of the system, the removal of SO2 increased, with a concurrent decrease in NO2 removal. The increase in removal of SO3(2-) was speculated to hinder the conversion of NO2 to NO2(-), therefore decreasing the removal of the nitrogen species. The results demonstrate that the Mg-Al oxide slurry was highly effective for simultaneously removing NO2 and SO2 from a mixed gas.