Reactive collisions of sulfur dioxide with molten carbonates.
Molecular beam scattering experiments are used to investigate reactions of SO(2) at the surface of a molten alkali carbonate eutectic at 683 K. We find that two-thirds of the SO(2) molecules that thermalize at the surface of the melt are converted to gaseous CO(2) via the reaction SO(2)(g) + CO(3)(2-) --> CO(2)(g) + SO(3)(-2). The CO(2) product is formed from SO(2) in less than 10(-6) s, implying that the reaction takes place in a shallow liquid region less than 100 A deep. The reaction probability does not vary between 683 and 883 K, further implying a compensation between decreasing SO(2) residence time in the near-interfacial region and increasing reactivity at higher temperatures. These results demonstrate the remarkable efficiency of SO(2) --> CO(2) conversion by molten carbonates, which appear to be much more reactive than dry calcium carbonate or wet slurries commonly used for flue gas desulfurization in coal-burning power plants.
Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706-1322, USA.
Thomas
T
Krebs
Gilbert M
GM
Nathanson
D000336:Aerosols / Q000737:chemistry; D000393:Air Pollutants; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002254:Carbonates / Q000737:chemistry*; D002621:Chemistry / Q000379:methods; D003031:Coal; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D005740:Gases; D052638:Particulate Matter; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D002254:Carbonates; D003031:Coal; D005740:Gases; D052638:Particulate Matter; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002244:Carbon; D002119:Calcium Carbonate