A device includes a desulfurization system which forms a hydrogen sulfide-containing acid gas; a system for extracting elemental sulfur and a hydrogen sulfide-containing tail gas as exhaust gas; a device for generating electricity and gypsum from the tail gas; and a gas line system for supplying acid gas from the desulfurization system to the system for extracting elemental sulfur and to the device for generating electricity and gypsum, and for supplying tail gas from the system for extracting elemental sulfur to the device for generating electricity and gypsum. The gas line system has a gas distributing apparatus which supplies acid gas solely to the system in a first position, supplies acid gas solely to the device in a second position, and supplies a first part of the acid gas to the system and a second part of the acid gas to the device in a distributing position.

A process for converting gypsum into precipitated calcium carbonate including reacting a mixture comprising gypsum and a seed, a mineral acid, or both with at least one carbonate source, whereby precipitated calcium carbonate is produced in the form of calcite and/or aragonite directly without conversion from a vaterite polymorph. Also, a process for converting gypsum into precipitated calcium carbonate including providing a mixture comprising i) gypsum ii) a seed, a mineral acid, or both iii) at least one additive selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfate, an organic acid, or an iron material, and reacting the mixture with at least one carbonate source to produce precipitated calcium carbonate in the form of vaterite. The precipitated calcium carbonates having desired and unique compositions, polymorph and crystal size characteristics formed by these processes.

A process for converting gypsum into precipitated calcium carbonate including reacting a mixture comprising gypsum and a seed, a mineral acid, or both with at least one carbonate source, whereby precipitated calcium carbonate is produced in the form of calcite and/or aragonite directly without conversion from a vaterite polymorph. Also, a process for converting gypsum into precipitated calcium carbonate including providing a mixture comprising i) gypsum ii) a seed, a mineral acid, or both iii) at least one additive selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfate, an organic acid, or an iron material, and reacting the mixture with at least one carbonate source to produce precipitated calcium carbonate in the form of vaterite. The precipitated calcium carbonates having desired and unique composition, polymorph and crystal size characteristics formed by these processes.

A fossil fuel fired power plant exhaust gas clean-up and recovery system is provided to remove detrimental compounds/elements from the exhaust gas emitting from the power plant to protect the environment and to recover useful products from the cleaning solution. This is accomplished by directing the exhaust gas from the fossil fuel fired power plant through a single wet scrubber having a cleaning solution of a predetermined pH. The cleaning solution is composed of calcium carbonate and water. A recovery process is attached thereto to reclaim calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and carbon dioxide for reuse in the process and/or for commercial use.

Compositions and methods for producing a manufactured product, a method for making a liquid absorbent, and processes for disposal of flammable liquids with a flue gas desulfurization by-product. The compositions for the manufactured products combine a binder and the by-product. The composition contains a greater percentage by weight of the by-product than the binder. The methods for producing manufactured products include dewatering the gypsum-depleted waste stream to reduce a water content, and forming the manufactured product. The method for making a liquid absorbent includes dewatering, granulating, drying, heating, and packaging a granulated gypsum-depleted composition as the liquid absorbent. The processes for disposal of flammable liquids include distributing a by-product into contact with flammable liquid, absorbing the liquid, transporting, and igniting the flammable liquid. The artificial soils are a combination of by-product and animal waste, human waste, or another bio-solid.

Compositions and methods for producing a manufactured product, a method for making a liquid absorbent, and processes for disposal of flammable liquids with a flue gas desulfurization by-product. The compositions for the manufactured products combine a binder and the by-product. The composition contains a greater percentage by weight of the by-product than the binder. The methods for producing manufactured products include dewatering the gypsum-depleted waste stream to reduce a water content, and forming the manufactured product. The method for making a liquid absorbent includes dewatering, granulating, drying, heating, and packaging a granulated gypsum-depleted composition as the liquid absorbent. The processes for disposal of flammable liquids include distributing a by-product into contact with flammable liquid, absorbing the liquid, transporting, and igniting the flammable liquid. The artificial soils are a combination of by-product and animal waste, human waste, or another bio-solid.

A fossil fuel fired power plant exhaust gas clean-up and recovery system is provided to remove detrimental compounds/elements from the exhaust gas emitting from the power plant to protect the environment and to recover useful products from the cleaning solution. This is accomplished by directing the exhaust gas from the fossil fuel fired power plant through a single wet scrubber having a cleaning solution of a predetermined pH. The cleaning solution is composed of calcium carbonate and water. Aa recovery process is attached thereto to reclaim calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and carbon dioxide for reuse in the process and/or for commercial use.

A process for converting gypsum into precipitated calcium carbonate including reacting a mixture comprising gypsum and a seed, a mineral acid, or both with at least one carbonate source, whereby precipitated calcium carbonate is produced in the form of calcite and/or aragonite directly without conversion from a vaterite polymorph. Also, a process for converting gypsum into precipitated calcium carbonate including providing a mixture comprising i) gypsum ii) a seed, a mineral acid, or both iii) at least one additive selected from the group consisting of ammonium sulfate, an organic acid, or an iron material, and reacting the mixture with at least one carbonate source to produce precipitated calcium carbonate in the form of vaterite.

A chemical looping combustion (CLC) process for sour gas combustion includes a number of reaction zones and is configured to provide in-situ oxygen production and in-situ removal of SO.sub.2 from a product gas stream by reacting the SO.sub.2 with a calcium-based sorbent at a location within one reaction zone. The CLC process is also configured such that the in-situ oxygen production results from the use of a metal oxide oxygen carrier which is purposely located such that it does not directly contact the sour gas, thereby eliminating the generation of undesirable sulfur-based metal oxides.

A process and system are disclosed for producing lithium oxide from lithium nitrate. In the process and system, the lithium nitrate is thermally decomposed in a manner such that a fraction of the lithium nitrate forms lithium oxide, and such that a remaining fraction of the lithium nitrate does not decompose to lithium oxide. The thermal decomposition may be terminated after a determined time period to ensure that there is a remaining fraction of lithium nitrate and to thereby produce a lithium oxide in lithium nitrate product. The lithium oxide in lithium nitrate product may have one or more transition-metal oxides, hydroxides, carbonates or nitrates added thereto to form a battery electrode. The lithium oxide in lithium nitrate product may alternatively be subjected to carbothermal reduction to produce lithium metal.