A sorbent composition that is useful for injection into a flue gas stream of a coal burning furnace to efficiently remove mercury from the flue gas stream. The sorbent composition may include a sorbent with an associated ancillary catalyst component that is a catalytic metal, a precursor to a catalytic metal, a catalytic metal compound or a precursor to a catalytic metal compound. Alternatively, a catalytic metal or metal compound, or their precursors, may be admixed with the coal feedstock prior to or during combustion in the furnace, or may be independently injected into a flue gas stream. A catalytic promoter may also be used to enhance the performance of the catalytic metal or metal compound.

Systems and methods for body-proximate recoverable capture of mercury vapor emitted during cremation of human remains having dental amalgam fillings containing mercury. In various embodiments, one or more recoverable mercury sorbent packets comprise a combination of nanoparticles of one or more chalcogens and a particulate refractory material contained in a refractory material packaging. The recoverable packets capture and contain elemental mercury vapor emitted during cremation from dental amalgam fillings containing mercury. The recoverable packets are placed external to the body and within the combustion chamber during cremation, and not within the flue or exhausts exiting the combustion chambers. In various embodiments, the recoverable packets are positioned within the casket or primary combustion chamber, and may be preferably positioned proximate the head and neck of the body with the aid of selectively-refractory containment structures. After cremation, the mercury laden recoverable sorbent packets may be removed from the ashen remains of the body, and optionally the mercury may be recovered and the sorbent packet reprocessed for reuse.

Systems and methods for body-proximate recoverable capture of mercury vapor emitted during cremation of human remains having dental amalgam fillings containing mercury. In various embodiments, one or more recoverable mercury sorbent packets comprise a combination of nanoparticles of one or more chalcogens and a particulate refractory material contained in a refractory material packaging. The recoverable packets capture and contain elemental mercury vapor emitted during cremation from dental amalgam fillings containing mercury. The recoverable packets are placed external to the body and within the combustion chamber during cremation, and not within the flue or exhausts exiting the combustion chambers. In various embodiments, the recoverable packets are positioned within the casket or primary combustion chamber, and may be preferably positioned proximate the head and neck of the body with the aid of selectively-refractory containment structures. After cremation, the mercury laden recoverable sorbent packets may be removed from the ashen remains of the body, and optionally the mercury may be recovered and the sorbent packet reprocessed for reuse.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Compositions are provided for binding mercury based in porous organic polymers having (i) a plurality of repeat units having heavy metal chelator moieties covalently attached thereto and (ii) a plurality of pores having a hierarchical pore size distribution over a range of pore sizes. In some aspects, the range of pore sizes is about 5 nm to 10 nm. The compositions can have a maximum mercury uptake capacity of 1,000 mg g.sup.−1 to 2,000 mg g.sup.−1 at 1 atm and 296 K and has a mercury uptake capacity that is stable and recyclable. Methods of making the compositions and methods of using the compositions for uptake of mercury are also provided.

A vacuum pumping system which comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating a flammable gas stream and exhausting the gas stream through an exhaust outlet. A housing houses the vacuum pumping arrangements and forms an air flow duct for an air flow for mixing with the exhaust gas stream output from the exhaust outlet in a mixing region in the housing. An airflow generator generates an air flow through the air flow duct to cause mixing of air with the flammable gas stream to a percentage of the flammable gas in the air flow lower than the lower flammability limit of the flammable gas. An airflow sensor senses the flow of air for determining if the air flow is sufficient to dilute the flammable gas to lower than said percentage.

A vacuum pumping system which comprises a plurality of vacuum pumping arrangements for evacuating a flammable gas stream and exhausting the gas stream through an exhaust outlet. A housing houses the vacuum pumping arrangements and forms an air flow duct for an air flow for mixing with the exhaust gas stream output from the exhaust outlet in a mixing region in the housing. An airflow generator generates an air flow through the air flow duct to cause mixing of air with the flammable gas stream to a percentage of the flammable gas in the air flow lower than the lower flammability limit of the flammable gas. An airflow sensor senses the flow of air for determining if the air flow is sufficient to dilute the flammable gas to lower than said percentage.