Desulfurization process: understanding of the behaviour of the CuO/SBA-15 type SOx adsorbent in the presence of NO/NO2 and CO/CO2 flue gas environmental pollutants

SOx (i.e. SO2 and SO3) compounds are known to be a major source of atmospheric pollution and to be responsible of adverse effects on the human health and on the environment. To reduce the SOx emissions, numerous abatement technologies were developed and applied. Nowadays, the most attractive one seems to be the process that use a regenerable SOx adsorbent. In this respect, a CuO (15 wt.%)/SBA-15 regenerable type SOx adsorbent has been developed. Under standard conditions (a gaseous mixture of N-2, SO2 and O-2), the adsorbent exhibits a stable adsorption capacity around 50 mg(SO2)/g(ads) along 10 cycles at 400 degrees C (for a 75 ppm of SO 2 exhaust concentration). The main aim of this work is to study the impact of various regulated pollutants such as CO, CO 2 , NO and NO2 on the SO2 adsorption capacity of the CuO (15 wt.%)/SBA-15 adsorbent. In the presence of CO and CO2, the SO2 adsorption performance of the CuO/SBA adsorbent is similar to the one observed under standard conditions. On the other hand, under NO and NO2 atmosphere, the dynamic and total adsorption capacities of the adsorbent are enhanced up to 25% and no deactivation occurs along the cycles. The increase may be related with the synergetic effect between NO2 and SO2 towards the sulphate formation. The CuO/SBA-15 adsorbent before and after multicycle SO2 adsorption in the presence of regulated pollutants and regeneration under 0.5 vol.% of H-2 have been characterized by XRD and N-2 physisorption. No significant structural and textural change is observed compared to the CuO/SBA-SO2 adsorbent.