Removal of phosphorus and sulfur from yellow phosphorus off-gas by metal-modified activated carbon

In order to provide comprehensive utilization of high concentration CO for mono-carbon (C1) chemical industry, the purification of yellow phosphorus off-gas is of great concern. In this research, activated carbon (AC) modified by different impregnants were used for removal of PH3, H2S, SO2, COS, and CS2 in yellow phosphorus off-gas. For the removal of PH3, AC impregnated with 0.10 mol L−1 CuAc2 was proved to be the best adsorbent. And removal efficiency of H2S could be significantly enhanced by AC impregnated with 7% Na2CO3. The results of plant experiments suggested that the total concentration of the impurities in yellow phosphorus off-gas was less than 1 mg Nm−3 after purification operation. The metal-modified activated carbon (MMAC) was systematically characterized in terms of XPS, TGA, and DTA. The adsorption reaction mechanism was also investigated. As a result, the yellow phosphorus off-gas purified in this study can be used as a raw material gas in the C1 chemical industry.