Reduction of Sulfur Trioxide by Methanol. Final Report. Phase 1. Small Business Innovative Research

摘要

The combustion of a sulfur containing fuel such as coal produces a flue gas in which most of the sulfur is present as SO2 but some, typically 1-2%, is present as SO3. A new homogeneous gas phase reaction has been discovered that provides a nearly ideal solution to the problems SO3 causes. When SO3 containing flue gas is exposed to methanol vapor at temperatures in the range 600 to 750 C, the SO3 is selectively and rapidly reduced to SO2. In laboratory experiments reductions of SO3 in excess of 90% were achieved with reaction times of 0.5 sec. and in excess of 80% in only 0.05 sec. The amount of methanol necessary to achieve these reductions was only slightly greater than the sum of the amounts of NO and SO3 present. In addition to the reduction of SO3 the new reaction also oxidizes NO (which is not removed by scrubbers) to NO2 (which is).