The new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) rule should regulate more than 90% of mercury emissions virtually from all combustion sources including from coal- and oil-fired utility, industrial, commercial, and institutional power plants from 2016. Among elemental, oxidized, and particulate-bound mercury species present in flue gas, elemental mercury (Hg(0)) vapor is most difficult to control, but imperative to control in order to meet the stringent MATS rule from all coal-fired power plants. The proposed project bridges the gap between a fundamental mechanistic understanding of heterogeneous catalytic Hg(0) oxidation and its scale-up issues. It will not only validate the PI's heterogeneous Hg(0) oxidation technology in a more practical bench-scale setting but also allow for investigating the scale-up of the catalytic reaction from a granular shape to a structured shape.
This proposed research will enhance the engineering capability to predict Hg(0) removal based on the fundamental understanding of physical and chemical principles. It will lead to advancing scientific knowledge and broadening mercury control options for the new proposed mercury rule. It will ultimately lead to various environmental remediation and separation technologies based on heterogeneous catalysis, adsorption, and absorption. The educational plan will provide co-benefits for chemical and environmental engineering faculty, students, and professionals in the areas of environmental catalysis, separation, and air quality/air pollution control.
