On Site Mercury Remediation via Activated Fly Ash

 汞是对人类最有害和毒性最大的污染物之一，主要通过燃烧化石燃料以蒸汽形式进入环境。化石燃料的消耗导致空气、水、土壤中的汞浓度越来越高，并最终导致人类消费的食物中的汞浓度越来越高。美国环保署估计，汞每年造成的医疗保健费用在370亿至900亿美元之间。最近，美国环保署制定了更严格的汞排放法规（2015年4月16日生效），根据所有现有发电机组的煤级，将汞排放上限设定在1.2-4 lb Hg/TBtu之间。这些法规给电力行业带来了重大的经济和技术合规挑战，如果汞排放得不到控制，许多发电厂将面临关闭。目前最可行的汞捕获技术-活性炭注入-不可能解决所有现有的技术和经济挑战。随着更严格的限制，活性炭的除汞效率呈指数级下降，因此越来越多的活性炭必须运输到作业现场并注入。活性炭注入的成本已经非常高，一般为每磅汞去除6，000 - 50，000美元。部署一种新的、具有成本效益的汞捕集技术对于减轻与汞相关的人类健康风险、国家医疗保健成本以及以具有成本效益的方式协助电力行业捕集汞至关重要。我们的第一阶段工作取得了显著成果，我们展示了一种创新的基于粉煤灰的吸附剂（X-FA），能够以当前成本的一小部分实现强大的汞捕集。新吸附剂的原理是一种创新的涂层技术，在飞灰颗粒周围沉积一层薄薄的汞氧化活化剂层。一旦与汞蒸气接触，活化剂涂覆的粉末就化学结合并捕获汞。与现有技术相比，我们的新吸附剂开发具有许多优势，包括污染源现场的前期材料生产。NIH第二阶段的资金将使我们能够进行必要的最终研究，并在工业规模上展示X-FA吸附剂（在多个燃煤锅炉/发电设施进行β注入测试）。在完成第II阶段后，预计将立即实现X-FA产品的商业化。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant) Mercury is one of the most harmful and toxic pollutants to humans, and it is predominantly introduced into the environment in vapor form from burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuel consumption results in ever-higher mercury concentrations in the air, water, soil, and, ultimately, in food that humans consume. The EPA estimates that mercury instigated healthcare costs range between $37-90 billion dollars annually. Recently, the EPA has instituted much stricter mercury emission regulations (effective April 16th, 2015) that set a mercury emissions cap between 1.2-4 lb Hg/TBtu depending on the coal rank for all existing electrical generating units. These regulations have created a significant economic and technical compliance challenge for the electric-utility industry, and many power plants face shutdowns if mercury emissions are not contained. The current most viable mercury capture technology, activated carbon injection, cannot possibly solve all existing technological and economic challenges. With stricter limits, mercury removal efficiency with activated carbons decreases exponentially, thus more and more activated carbon has to be transported to the site of operation and injected. Activated carbon injection costs are already very high, and generally range from $6,000-$50,000 per pound of Hg removed. The deployment of a new, cost-effective Hg-capture technology is crucial to mitigate mercury associated human health risks, national healthcare costs, and to cost-effectively assist the electric-utility industry in capturing mercury Our Phase I work has produced remarkable results where we have demonstrated an innovative fly ash based sorbent (X-FA) capable of powerful mercury capture at a fraction of current costs. The principle of the new sorbent is an innovative coating technology that deposits a thin mercury oxidizing activator layer around the fly ash particles. Once in contact with mercury vapor, the activator coated powder chemically binds and captures mercury. Many advantages over existing technologies come with our new sorbent development, including an upfront material production on-site of the source of pollution. Phase II NIH funding will enable us to conduct necessary final research and to demonstrate the X-FA sorbent on an industrial scale (beta injection tests at multiple coal-fired boiler/power facilities). Upon completion of Phase II n immediate X-FA product commercialization is expected to occur.