An electrochemical membrane reactor for a recycled FGD process

In the current process of removing sulfur dioxide, the high cost and treatment of fuel-gas desulfurization products are still the two bottlenecks that need to be resolved. This paper presents a novel method that can regenerate the adsorbent and obtain resources and energy recovery from FGD (Flue gas desulfurization) products by using an electrochemical membrane reactor. The effects of the operating parameters, such as the current, the initial concentration of the three chambers, the flow rate, and the power supply mode on the regeneration and current efficiency were analyzed, and the optimal operating condition of the lab-scale electrochemical membrane reactor was obtained. Under this optimal condition, the current efficiency of H2SO4 production and NaOH regeneration were about 85% or above and as high as 90% correspondingly. In addition, the process cost from the consumption of energy is estimated to be 0.81 $/kg sulfur; therefore, the profit from the electrolytic products is higher than the price of the electricity. Notably, the method is appealing both because it can expediently regenerate the adsorbent with no secondary pollution and because it is economically attractive. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.