The physical structure of limestones and the reactivity as sorbents of atmospheric pollutant

Abstract

The utilization of mineral coals becomes an alternative to supply the growing energetic demand. However, the combustion of Brazilian coals has caused considerable preoccupation with the environment, mainly because of their sulphur contents, which range is from 1 to 6%. The combustion of these coals in conventional plants is problematic due to the generation and emission of SO2 to the atmosphere. An alternative to minimize this problem is the use of fluidized bed combustors that permit adding limestone to remove SO2. The aim of this project is to apply thermogravimetry to study the gas-solid process SO2-CaO, and to use the factorial design to compare the behavior of pollutant gases sorption by different limestones in optimized conditions. From the results, both the porous structure of calcined limestones and a correlation between these characteristics and the reactive capacity with SO2 will be evaluated. Studies that allow improving the conversion of regent material and consequently decreasing the environmental impact and utilization of raw material are very important mainly regarding the sustainable alternatives for the energetic sector. (AU)