LAUSR

The catalytic oxidation on elemental mercury (Hg0) to water-soluble oxidized mercury (Hg2+) is a good mercury (Hg) control approach for coal-fired power plants, and Hg2+ can be removed by the existing wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) device. Oxygen-enriched combustion (OEC) is considered as an optimal option for the post CO2 capture among the clean coal combustion technologies. On the basis of the established bench-scale experimental apparatus, this paper studied the influence mechanism of a high H2O concentration on Hg0 oxidation in the simulated flue gas in OEC. The results showed that both the high HCl concentration and the high temperature could improve the Hg0 oxidation in the simulated flue gas above 500 °C and with as high as 30% of H2O content in OEC. A key intermediate reaction step was needed to complete the reaction between Hg0 and HCl. HCl was first oxidized to oxidative Cl by O2. Then, Hg0 was further oxidized by oxidative Cl. The high H2O concentration could inhibit this process of Hg0 oxi...