SO2 removal with coal slurry in a double-stirred vessel

In the coal slurry scrubbing process, SO2 can be removed through both the coal pyrite leaching reaction and the oxidation reactions catalysed by Fe2+/Fe3+ produced in situ. In the present study, experiments of SO2 removal with coal slurry (particle size fraction 65-150 microm) were carried out using a double-stirred vessel to investigate the effects of temperature, coal particle size and pulp density on SO2 absorption rate and on the proportion of SO2 removed through the leaching reaction. Results show that the SO2 absorption rate can be increased by decreasing particle size and increasing pulp density, but it is relatively less affected by temperature. Although decreasing coal particle size and pulp density can increase coal pyrite conversion, the effectiveness is limited and the proportion of SO2 removed through the leaching reaction is little affected. Increasing temperature can evidently increase the proportion, but there also exists the problem of energy expenditure; satisfactory coal pyrite conversion during SO2 removal could not be achieved economically by such measures. In addition, the apparent rate constant has a linear relationship with the reciprocal of the coal particle diameter.