Flue gas treatment by activated carbon obtained from oil-fired fly ash Original Research Article

The treatment of the solid particulates derived from the combustion of heavy oils (that is, oil-fired fly ash) with acidic solutions (HCl and HF) followed by activation at 900 °C with CO2 and then with O2 (1%) in N2 at 800 °C, produces activated carbon having high surface area values (measured both by N2 adsorption at 77 K and by CO2 adsorption at 273 K) and surface basic characteristics. This carbon appears to be suitable for SO2 and NOX adsorption and hence for industrial flue gas treatment processes. By submitting the activated carbon thus obtained to some adsorption/desorption cycles of gaseous mixtures having a similar composition to that of flue gases, its general characteristics (surface areas, sorbent properties etc.) change as expected of a typical activated carbon. Based on the results obtained, these particulate materials, produced in large amounts by heavy oil combustion, are assumed to be fully exploitable for flue gas treatment.