Limestone removal

The first stage in the conversion of iron ore to steel is the blastfurnace (see Panel), which accounts for the largest tonnage of any metal produced by man. In it the iron ore is reduced by coke, while limestone removes any sand or clay as a slag. The molten iron is run off to be cast into moulds of the required shape or into ingots ( pigs ) for further processing — hence the names cast-iron or pig-iron . This is an... 

Desulfurize the flue gas. A whole range of processes have been developed to remove SO, from flue gases, such as injection of limestone into the furnace, absorption into wet limestone after the furnace, absorption into aqueous potassium sulfite after the furnace, and many others.However, the byproducts from many of these desulfurization processes cause major disposal problems. 

Limestone slurry scmbs flue gas. SO2 absorbed, reacted to CaSO. Further ak-oxidized to CaSO settled/removed as sludge. Lower cost and simpler than other processes. Disadvantages abrasive/corrosive, plugging and scaling, poor dewatering of... 

Pulverized lime or limestone injected into flue gas (often through burner). SO2 absorbed on soHd particles. High excess alkah required for fairly low SO2 absorption. Finer grindings lime preheat, flue gas humidification benefit removal. Particulate collected in baghouse. 

Formation of emissions from fluidised-bed combustion is considerably different from that associated with grate-fired systems. Flyash generation is a design parameter, and typically >90% of all soHds are removed from the system as flyash. SO2 and HCl are controlled by reactions with calcium in the bed, where the lime-stone fed to the bed first calcines to CaO and CO2, and then the lime reacts with sulfur dioxide and oxygen, or with hydrogen chloride, to form calcium sulfate and calcium chloride, respectively. SO2 and HCl capture rates of 70—90% are readily achieved with fluidi2ed beds. The limestone in the bed plus the very low combustion temperatures inhibit conversion of fuel N to NO. ... 

There are three essential factors in the thermal decomposition of limestone (/) the stone must be heated to the dissociation temperature of the carbonates (2) this minimum temperature (but in practice a higher temperature) must be maintained for a certain duration and (J) the carbon dioxide evolved must be removed rapidly. 

The western phosphates are sedimentary deposits in adjoining areas of Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah derived from a former inland sea. They consist of layers of limestone, phosphate, and chert, now budded and faulted so they are rarely horizontal. The phosphate ore is strip-mined using large earth-moving equipment such as shovels, scrappers, dump tmcks, and bulldozers to mine the overburden and phosphate ore. Mining ratios of overburden to metric ton of recovered ore are from 1—3 m /1 (2—4 yd /short ton). The typical mining practice is to remove ore and overburden from a pit in discrete layers (Lifts) of 10—20 m in depth. Overburden from the pit is back-hauled to a previously mined pit. Extensive land reclamation practices are later carried out to return the mine areas to natural states. 

Calcium sulfite [10257-55-3] and acid sulfite may be prepared by reaction of SO2 and hydrated lime or limestone. Calcium acid sulfite [13780-03-5] Ca(HS02)2, has been used to remove lignin (qv) from wood pulp in paper manufacture (6) (see Paper Pulp). 

FluidiZed-Bed Combustion. Fluidized-bed combustors are able to bum coal particles effectively in the range of 1.5 mm to 6 mm in size, which are floating in place in an expanded bed (40). Coal and limestone for SO2 capture can be fed to the combustion zone, and ash can be removed from it, by pneumatic transfer. Very Htfle precombustion processing is needed to prepare either the coal or the sorbent for entry into the furnace (41). 

Three demonstrations of the LIMB technology have been carried out. The first was a privately funded project in the 75 MWt Boiler 405 at the No. 4 AC Station of Inland Steel Industries, Inc. (56). By injecting 70 wt % minus 200 mesh (74 -lm) limestone, approximately 40% SO2 removal was achieved at a Ca S ratio of 3. This rose to 50% removal when the Ca S ratio was increased to 4. The second LIMB demonstration was the backup desulfurization system installed by B W as part of the relocation, repowering, and reconfiguration of the PCS power plant (46). 

Dry-Throwaway Processes. Dry-throwaway systems were the precursor of processes that removed SO2 iu the ductwork, eg, the BCZ and IDS processes. Here, however, the device is a spray chamber similar to the wet scmbbers such as the three modules of the Colstrip iastallation (Fig. 12). Into the upper portion of the chamber a slurry or clear solution containing sorbent is sprayed. Water evaporates from the droplets, the sorbent reacts with SO2 both before and after drying, and the dry product is removed ia a downstream baghouse or ESP (72). Unfortunately, dry scmbbiag is much less efficient than wet scmbbiag and lime, iastead of the much less expensive limestone, is required to remove SO2 effectively. Consequentiy, a search has been conducted for more reactive sorbents (72—75). 

Fluidized combustion of coal entails the burning of coal particles in a hot fluidized bed of noncombustible particles, usually a mixture of ash and limestone. Once the coal is fed into the bed it is rapidly dispersed throughout the bed as it bums. The bed temperature is controUed by means of heat exchanger tubes. Elutriation is responsible for the removal of the smallest soHd particles and the larger soHd particles are removed through bed drain pipes. To increase combustion efficiency the particles elutriated from the bed are coUected in a cyclone and are either re-injected into the main bed or burned in a separate bed operated at lower fluidizing velocity and higher temperature. 

Drying Fhiidized-bed units for drying solids, particularly coal, cement, rock, and limestone, are in general acceptance. Economic-considerations make these units particularly attrac tive when large tonnages of solids are to be handled. Fuel requirements are 3.3 to 4.2 MJ/kg (1500 to 1900 Btu/lb of water removed), and total power for blowers, feeders, etc., is about 0.08 kWh/kg of water removed. The maximum-sized feed is 6 cm (IV2 in) X 0 coal. One of the major advantages of this type of dryer is the close control of conditions so that a predeterminea amount of free moisture may be left with the solids to... 

Of the removal processes that have attained commercial status, the current favorite employs a shiny of lime or limestone. The activity of the reagent is promoted by the addition of small amounts of carboxylic acids such as adipic acid. The gas and the shiny are contacted in a spray tower. The calcium salt is discarded. A process that employs aqueous sodium citrate, however, is suited for the recoveiy of elemental sulfur. The citrate solution is regenerated and recycled. (Kohl and Riesenfeld, Gas Purification, Gulf, 1985, p. 356.)... 

In one test facility, a gas with 4,000 ppm SO9 had 95 percent removal with lime and 75 percent removal with limestone. 

Calcined limestone or Ume reacts with sulfur oxides. They are then removed with a dry particulate control system. 

Calcined limestone or lime reacts with sulfur oxides, which are then removed by wet scrubbers. 

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