Acid mist sulfur emissions

Small amounts of sulfuric acid mist or aerosol are always formed in sulfuric acid plants whenever gas streams are cooled, or SO and H2O react, below the sulfuric acid dew point. The dew point varies with gas composition and pressure but typically is 80—170°C. Higher and lower dew point temperatures are possible depending on the SO concentration and moisture content of the gas. Such mists are objectionable because of both corrosion in the process and stack emissions. 

More recentiy, sulfuric acid mists have been satisfactorily controlled by passing gas streams through equipment containing beds or mats of small-diameter glass or Teflon fibers. Such units are called mist eliminators (see Airpollution control methods). Use of this type of equipment has been a significant factor in making the double absorption process economical and in reducing stack emissions of acid mist to tolerably low levels. 

Process air in sulfur-burning plants is dried by contacting it with 93—98 wt % sulfuric acid in a countercurrent packed tower. Dry process air is used to minimise sulfuric acid mist formation in downstream equipment, thus reducing corrosion problems and stack mist emissions. 

The oxidation catalyst (OC) operates according to the same principles described for a TWO catalyst except that the catalyst only oxides HC, CO, and H2. It does not reduce NO emissions because it operates in excess O2 environments. One concern regarding oxidation catalysts was the abiUty to oxidize sulfur dioxide to sulfur trioxide, because the latter then reacts with water to form a sulfuric acid mist which is emitted from the tailpipe. The SO2 emitted has the same ultimate fate in that SO2 is oxidized in the atmosphere to SO which then dissolves in water droplets as sulfuric acid. 

Sulfur Dioxide EPA Method 6 is the reference method for determining emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO9) from stationary sources. As the gas goes through the sampling apparatus (see Fig. 25-33), the sulfuric acid mist and sulfur trioxide are removed, the SO9 is removed by a chemical reaction with a hydrogen peroxide solution, and, finally, the sample gas volume is measured. Upon completion of the rim, the sulfuric acid mist and sulfur trioxide are discarded, and the collected material containing the SO9 is recovered for analysis at the laboratory. The concentration of SO9 in the sample is determined by a titration method. 

Fluorides and dust are emitted to the air from the fertilizer plant. All aspects of phosphate rock processing and finished product handling generate dust, from grinders and pulverizers, pneumatic conveyors, and screens. The mixer/reactors and dens produce fumes that contain silicon tetrafluoride and hydrogen fluoride. A sulfuric acid plant has two principal air emissions sulfur dioxide and acid mist. If pyrite ore is roasted, there will also be particulates in air emissions that may contain heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead. 

If your facilrty has several pieces of equipment performing a similar service, you may combine the reporting for such equipment on a single line. It is not necessary to enter four lines of data to cover four scrubber units, for example, if all four are treating wastes of similar character (e.g., sulfuric acid mist emissions), have similar influent concentrations, and have similar removal efficiencies. If, however, any of these parameters differ from one unit to the next, each scrubber must be listed separately. 

Sulfuric acid is added to the assembled batteries and the plates are formed within the batteries by applying electric voltage. The formation process oxidizes the lead oxide in the positive plates to lead peroxide and reduces the lead oxide in the negative plates to metallic lead. The charging process produces an acid mist that contains small amounts of lead particulate, which is released without emission controls. 

Primary copper processing results in air emissions, process wastes, and other solid-phase wastes. Particulate matter and sulfur dioxide are the principal air contaminants emitted by primary copper smelters. Copper and iron oxides are the primary constituents of the particulate matter, but other oxides, such as arsenic, antimony, cadmium, lead, mercury, and zinc, may also be present, with metallic sulfates and sulfuric acid mist. Single-stage electrostatic precipitators are widely used in the primary copper industry to control these particulate emissions. Sulfur oxides contained in the off-gases are collected, filtered, and made into sulfuric acid. 

The acid mist emission problem can arise from any of several factors. Water vapor in the air feed to the sulfur burner may cause mists because, as the water vapor plus sulfur trioxide stream drops below the dewpoint (condensation) temperature, sulfuric acid aerosol formation occurs. If this cooling happens in the absorbers, it may result in mist losses. Mist formation is minimized or eliminated by adequate drying of the air fed to the sulfur burner with concentrated sulfuric acid. 

Determination of sulfuric acid mist and sulfur dioxide emissions from stationary sources... 

Again, these vary considerably from country to country, and in countries such as the United States, the limits vary from state to state. For sulfuric acid, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set an emission limit for any given production facility at 10 tons per annum. However, in California and Arizona, this limit has been set at 7 tons per annum. In general, emissions from a facility are defined in two ways namely total emissions per annum and secondly, a border or fence-line concentration limits. Examples of fence-line limits for sulfuric acid mist are ... 

Waste Characteristics and Impacts Atmospheric Emissions - The process has two emissions to the atmosphere sulfur dioxide and acid mist, both of which are released with the waste gas from the final absorber tower. 

Environmental Impact - Sulfur dioxide and acid mist released to the atmosphere contribute to local and regional acidification of the atiriosphere and may contribute to acid rain. However, SO emissions from sulfuric acid plants are small compared with large-scale power stations burning coal and high-sulfur fuel oil. 

Sulfur leaves the acid plant in the tail gas as SO2, SO3, and acid mist (H2SO4(0). These compounds are either scmbbed or exhausted to the atmosphere. This chapter focuses on methods to optimize acid plant design and operation to minimize sulfur emissions. 

Although acid rain can originate from the direct emission of strong acids, such as HCl gas or sulfuric acid mist, most of it is a secondary air pollutant produced by the atmospheric oxidation of acid-forming gases such as the following ... 

Acid rain is actually a catchall phrase for any kind of acidic precipitation, including snow, sleet, mist, and fog. Acid rain begins when water comes into contact with sulfur and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere. These oxides can come from natural sources such as volcanic emissions or decaying plants. But there are man-made sources as well, such as power plant and automobile emissions. In the United States, two-thirds of all the sulfur dioxide and one-fourth of the nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere are produced by coal-burning power plants. 

Acid rain is caused primarily by sulfur dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Sulfur is an impurity in these fuels for example, coal typically contains 2-3% by weight sulfur.1M Other sources of sulfur include the industrial smelting of metal sulfide ores to produce the elemental metal and, in some parts of the world, volcanic eruptions. When fossils fuels are burned, sulfur is oxidized to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and trace amounts of sulfur trioxide (SC>3)J21 The release of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide emissions to the atmosphere is the major source of acid rain. These gases combine with oxygen and water vapor to form a fine mist of sulfuric acid that settles on land, on vegetation, and in the ocean. 

Fiber-bed scrubbers are used to control aerosol emissions from chemical, plastics, asphalt, sulfuric acid, and surface coating industries. They are also used to control lubricant mist emission from rotating machinery and mists from storage tanks. Fiber-bed scrubbers are also applied downstream of other control devices to eliminate a visible plume. Despite their potential for high collection efficiency, fiber-bed scrubbers have had only limited commercial acceptance for dust collection because of their tendency to become plugged. 

---