A multi-functional composition of matter that is useful for injection into a flue gas stream to rapidly and efficiently remove mercury from the flue gas stream. The multi-functional composition of matter may include a fixed carbon sorbent and minerals, halogens in the form of halide salts, as well as other physical and chemical properties to enhance (1) the oxidation reaction kinetics for the oxidation of mercury species and (2) the mass diffusion kinetics of the mercury species.

A powdered Iron-Selenide-Oxide sorbent composition, a method of using the sorbent, and a method for producing the sorbent is disclosed for removing mercury vapor from a gaseous stream. The exact ratios of Fe to Se are varied. The method for producing the sorbent comprises the steps of: preparing a base ferrous or ferric oxide (FeO.sub.x) media, conditioning the FeO.sub.x media with a slurry of ferrous selenite (FeSeO.sub.3)/ferrous selenate (FeSeO.sub.4), reducing the FeSeO.sub.3/FeSeO.sub.4 mixture by an elemental iron (Fe.sup.0) powder to incorporate selenide into the slurry, and dewatering and oxidizing the slurry. The sorbent can be used alone (or in combination with a powdered activated carbon material or an inert powdered material) by direct injection into the Hg-containing gas stream, by coating of a filter fabric used in bag house with the sorbent, or by using the sorbent in a packed bed gas stream filtration system.

Various embodiments disclosed relate to extraction of target materials using a CZTS sorbent. A method of extracting a target material from a medium includes contacting a copper zinc tin sulfur (CZTS) sorbent with the target material in the medium including the target material to form a used CZTS sorbent that includes the target material. The method also includes separating the used CZTS sorbent from the medium.

Sorbent compositions containing calcium and iodine are added to coal to mitigate the release of mercury and/or other harmful elements into the environment during combustion of coal containing natural levels of mercury.

A process for preparing a copper sulfide of the formula Cu.sub.xS.sub.y, wherein the process comprises the following steps: (i) reacting an aqueous solution of a copper salt with a molar excess of a sulfiding agent so as to precipitate copper sulfide from the solution; (ii) isolating the copper sulfide precipitate from the reaction mixture; and (iii) drying the copper sulfide precipitate at a temperature of less than 100 C., wherein x and y are integer or non-integer values.

This invention introduces a method of preparing a carbon-based sulfur-loading iron-containing adsorbent for mercury removal, which can solve the problems in the prior art that sulfur-rich heavy organic materials have low-value utilization and the elemental mercury in atmosphere is hard to be efficiently and economically removed by the existing mercury removal agents. A carbon-based sulfur-loading iron-containing adsorbent for mercury removal is prepared in this invention. The adsorbent with a porous structure is prepared in situ by performing steps such as chemical activation of sulfur-rich heavy organic materials that are rich in iron. The adsorbent prepared herein has good mercury removal performance in simulated coal-fired flue gas. This invention not only improves the utilization value of sulfur-rich heavy organic materials, but also prevents SO.sub.X pollution caused by the combustion of sulfur-rich heavy organic materials and controls mercury pollution in the coal-fired flue gas.

The present application relates to a functional fiber for adsorbing heavy metal and a method for producing the same, and the functional fiber for adsorbing heavy metal of the present application may have a structure in which thiolated metal nanoparticles are attached to a porous fiber, thereby minimizing the pore clogging of the porous fiber to remarkably improve the adsorption capacity of heavy metal materials, may be prepared by applying the dry technology without liquid impregnation, thereby minimizing the pore clogging of the porous fiber and fundamentally blocking the process wastewater generation, and is easy to implement the roll-to-roll system, so that continuous production is possible and thus productivity may be improved.

A multi-functional composition of matter that is useful for injection into a flue gas stream to rapidly and efficiently remove mercury from the flue gas streams, particularly at above average flue stream temperatures of about 340 F. or higher. The multi-functional composition of matter may include a fixed carbon content of at least about 20 wt. %, a mineral content of from about 20 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, a sum of micropore plus mesopore volume of at least about 0.20 cc/g, a micropore volume to mesopore volume ratio of at least about 0.7, and a tapped density of not greater than about 0.575 g/ml. These compositions may be further characterized by number of particles per gram of the composition of matter such that the composition may have at least about 0.8 billion particles per gram, or even as many as 1.5 billion particles per gram. These physical and chemical properties may enhance (1) the oxidation reaction kinetics for the oxidation of mercury species, (2) frequency of contact events, and (3) capture and sequestration of mercury, to achieve efficient mercury capture by the composition even in high temperature flue gas streams.

A method for controlling mercury emissions within a FGD system, the method includes preparing a treatment composition for application on FGD system components, the treatment composition comprising a biocide, applying the treatment composition to an FGD system, wherein the FGD system includes an FGD scrubber, monitoring the bacterial load present within the FGD system, and optimizing the operating conditions of an aqueous system to determine when additional treatment is required.

A method of spray drying and washing using a spray drying apparatus, includes: spraying dehydrated filtrate from a spray nozzle hung down from a top side of the spray drying apparatus; introducing a part of flue gas into the spray drying apparatus to dry the dehydrated filtrate; wherein a compressed air is introduced into the spray nozzle to facilitate the spraying and into the wash nozzle to perform air purging during the spray drying, and jetting washing liquid from a wash nozzle provided on a side wall of the spray drying apparatus to wash the spray nozzle and an inside of the spray drying apparatus body, wherein the feeding of the dehydrated filtrate to the spray nozzle is stopped during the washing.