Improving the removal of fine particles by chemical agglomeration during the limestone-gypsum wet flue gas desulfurization process.

Coal-fired power plants are considered a major source of fine particle emissions in China. Aimed to improve the removal efficiency of fine particles during the limestone-gypsum wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) process, a novel technology using chemical agglomeration to abate the emission of fine particles is presented herein. The relationship between fine particle emission and the proportion of fine particles in the desulfurization slurry was studied. Additionally, the influence of chemical agglomeration on fine particle size distribution, both in the flue gas and slurry was experimentally investigated. When chemical agglomeration agents were added to the desulfurization slurry, the fine particle removal performance as well as the effects of the operation parameters was also explored via the simulated experimental facility. The results revealed that the fine particles in both the desulfurization slurry and flue gas were significantly enlarged after the addition of the agglomeration agents. This was more marked in the submicron particles. Thus, the proportion of fine particles (< 10 μm) in the slurry decreased from 31.1% to 22.6%. An increase in the desulfurization slurry temperature and liquid-to-gas ratio aided the reduction in fine particle emission. Moreover, the addition of an agglomeration agent in the slurry did not affect the desulfurization efficiency of the desulfurization tower and even promoted the WFGD process. Thus, the proposed chemical agglomeration technique reduced the fine particle emission of the WFGD system by ~30%, while a desulfurization efficiency >90% was maintained.