ABSORPTION OF NOX, SO2, METHANE, ETHANE, PROPANE AND
PROPYLENE ON ACTIVATED GREEK COALS
Papanicolaou1, C., Pasadakis2, N., Dimou2, D., Kalaitzidis3, S.,Papazissimou3, S.,
Foscolos2, A. E.
Abstract
Twenty-eight samples of peat, peaty lignites, lignites (of both matrix and xylite-rich
lithotypes) and subituminous coals have been physically activated by pyrolysis. The
results are correlated with maceral composition and proximate and ultimate analysis.
The surface area of the non activated coal samples ranges from 3.1 m2/g to 14.0 m2 /g,
while that of activated coal samples from 50.1 m2/g to 412.4 m2/g.The adsorption
capacity of the activated coals for NO, SO2, C3H6 and a mixture of light hydrocarbons
(CH4, C2H6, C3H6 and C4H10) at various temperatures was measured on 14 selected
samples.
NOX absorption studies were performed on 8 activated coals and it was found that the
maximum absorbed amount was 8.22 x 10-5 mol/g at 350 C. The absorption of SO2 was
undertaken on 13 activated samples and it was found that the maximum adsorbed amount
to be 38.65 x 10-5 mol/g. at 600 C. The adsorption of C3H6 was undertaken on 13 activated
samples and it was found that the maximum adsorbed amount to be 38.9 x 10-5 mol/g at
350 C. Adsorption studies on a mixture of light hydrocarbons was performed on 7
activated samples and the maximum adsorbed amount was 19.24 x 10-5 mol/g.
Introduction
Research on activated lignite started some thirty five years ago (Fraser, 1972) while its
application for environmental purposes started fifteen years later (Klose and Heschel
1987) and continuous to date ( Navarro et. al., 2006). Activated lignite is used in
canisters located in the exhaustion pipes of cars to adsorb and trap fuel vapors (Aulich
et.al., 1995), to clean the air in refuse incinerating plants, (Grodten et al., 1998, Wirling,
2001, Licata et. al., 2005), to remove Hg emissions from waste gases in an industrialscale coal fired power plant, (Thevessen, 1994, Serre et.al., 2000, Skodras et. al., 2003,
Pavlish et.al., 2003, Benson et.al., 2003, Werner et. al., 2006, Jones et. al., 2006,
Dombrowski, 2006), reduce emitted furans and dioxins in electrosteel plants ( Prum et.
al., 2005), adsorption of NOX and SO2 (Ahnert and Heschel, 2002, Lee et. al., 1994, Li
et. al., 1999, Cupta et. al., 2004, Chattopadhyaya et.al., 2006a, Chattopadhyaya et.al.,
2006b) and treatment of waste water ( Engelhard and Lenz, 1997, Olson and Stepan,
2000, Stepan et. al., 2001) and industrial wastes ( Khan et. al., 1981, Allen et. al., 1997,
Dabrowski et.al., 2005, Galanakis et. al., 2006).
1
Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration, Messoghion 70, Athens 11527, Greece
Department of Mineral Resources Engineering, Technical Univ. Crete, Chania, Crete,
Greece
3
Department of Geology, University of Patras,, Rio-Patras, 26500, Greece
2
Recently, detail research has been carried out to use activated lignites for fuel gas
storage (Schwartz et. al., 2003) as well as methane (Chaffee et. al., 2001). This might
lead to transport natural gas from areas which are otherwise inaccessible to other means
of transport.
Commercialization of activated lignite for various environmental purposes have been
undertaken by companies such as: Rheinbraun Brennstff Gmbh (RBB) in Germany, Norit
Americas, Inc (TX), Calgon Carbon Corp.,(PA), Res-Kem Corp., Peco Co., and Carbon
Resources Co., in USA, Ninghia Huahui Activated Carbon Co. Ltd., and Datong Hongtai
Activated Carbon Co., Ltd., in China, Sicav in Italy, and Clarimex in Brazil and Mexico
and many others.
In the present research work 28 composite lignite samples from 10 coal basins in
Greece have been activated in order to measure their surface area and relate the latter
with the absorption of NOX, SO2, methane, ethane, propane and propylene. These results
were also correlated with maceral composition and the concentration of humins and
humic and fulvic acids.
Materials and Methods
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