Novel Process of Simultaneous Removal of Nitric Oxide and Sulfur Dioxide Using a Vacuum Ultraviolet (VUV)-Activated O2/H2O/H2O2 System in A Wet VUV-Spraying Reactor

A novel process for NO and SO2 simultaneous removal using a vacuum ultraviolet (VUV, with 185 nm wavelength)-activated O-2/H2O/H2O2 system in a wet VUV-spraying reactor was developed. The influence of different process variables on NO and SO2 removal was evaluated. Active species (O-3 and center dot OH) and liquid products (SO32-, NO2-, SO42-, and NO3-) were analyzed. The chemistry and routes of NO and SO2 removal were investigated. The oxidation removal system exhibits excellent simultaneous removal capacity for NO and SO2, and a maximum removal of 96.8% for NO and complete SO2 removal were obtained under optimized conditions. SO2 reaches 100% removal efficiency under most of test conditions. NO removal is obviously affected by several process variables. Increasing VUV power, H2O2 concentration, solution pH, liquid-to-gas ratio, and O-2 concentration greatly enhances NO removal. Increasing NO and SO2 concentration obviously reduces NO removal. Temperature has a dual impact on NO removal, which has an optimal temperature of 318 K. Sulfuric acid and nitric acid are the main removal products of NO and SO2. NO removals by oxidation of O-3, O center dot, and center dot OH are the primary routes. NO removals by H2O2 oxidation and VUV photolysis are the complementary routes. A potential scaled-up removal process was also proposed initially.