Mercury is one of the most harmful and toxic pollutants to humans, and it is predominantly introduced into the environment in vapor form from burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuel consumption results in ever-higher mercury concentrations in the air, water, soil, and, ultimately, in food that humans consume. The EPA estimates that mercury instigated healthcare costs range between $37-90 billion dollars annually. Recently, the EPA has instituted much stricter mercury emission regulations (effective April 16th, 2015) that set a mercury emissions cap between 1.2-4 lb Hg/TBtu depending on the coal rank for all existing electrical generating units. These regulations have created a significant economic and technical compliance challenge for the electric-utility industry, and many power plants face shutdowns if mercury emissions are not contained. The current most viable mercury capture technology, activated carbon injection, cannot possibly solve all existing technological and economic challenges. With stricter limits, mercury removal efficiency with activated carbons decreases exponentially, thus more and more activated carbon has to be transported to the site of operation and injected. Activated carbon injection costs are already very high, and generally range from $6,000-$50,000 per pound of Hg removed. The deployment of a new, cost-effective Hg-capture technology is crucial to mitigate mercury associated human health risks, national healthcare costs, and to cost-effectively assist the electric-utility industry in capturing mercury Our Phase I work has produced remarkable results where we have demonstrated an innovative fly ash based sorbent (X-FA) capable of powerful mercury capture at a fraction of current costs. The principle of the new sorbent is an innovative coating technology that deposits a thin mercury oxidizing activator layer around the fly ash particles. Once in contact with mercury vapor, the activator coated powder chemically binds and captures mercury. Many advantages over existing technologies come with our new sorbent development, including an upfront material production on-site of the source of pollution. Phase II NIH funding will enable us to conduct necessary final research and to demonstrate the X-FA sorbent on an industrial scale (beta injection tests at multiple coal-fired boiler/power facilities). Upon completion of Phase II n immediate X-FA product commercialization is expected to occur.
Mercury is one of the most harmful and toxic pollutants produced in large amounts, and its emission from coal burning power plants is subject to increasingly stringent regulation. PCTech has developed a highly innovative and efficient technology that is compatible with existing power plants, and which promises to reduce mercury levels in flue gas emissions in a cost effective way, while localizing the removed mercury in a by-product from which the mercury can then be recovered. Phase II NIH funding will enable validation of this mercury reduction and recovery method, which will ultimately result in greater protection of the health of the populace at a sufficiently low cost that the energy needs of the country will not be impacted by regulatory-induced power plant closure.
