Apparatus and methods for removing mercury from fluid streams
An apparatus and method for removing mercury, and in particular elemental mercury, from a fluid stream by exposing the fluid stream to a polyethersulfone or filter-coated with anion exchange resin, or anion exchange resin-coated surface onto which has been loaded elemental iodine. Elemental iodine is loaded onto the PES or anion exchange resin-coated surface by immersing the PES or anion exchange resin-coated substrate in an iodine/pentane solution, then removing the substrate from the iodine/pentane solution and rinsing in pentane.
1. An apparatus for removing mercury from a gas stream, the apparatus comprising:
a polyethersulfone surface or a surface coated with an anion exchange resin;
and,
elemental iodine disposed on a surface thereof.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the elemental iodine disposed on the polyethersulfone or resin-coated surface is chemisorbed thereon.
3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the polyethersulfone or resin-coated surface is selected from the group consisting of external surfaces and interstitial surfaces.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the elemental iodine is deposited on the polyethersulfone or resin-coated surface by applying a solution of an organic fluid and elemental iodine to the polyethersulfone surface.
5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the solution of pentane and elemental iodine comprises elemental iodine dissolved in pentane at a ratio of at least 0.001 moles per liter.
6. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the solution of pentane and elemental iodine comprises elemental iodine dissolved in pentane at a ratio of at least 0.01 moles per liter.
7. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the solution of pentane and elemental iodine comprises elemental iodine dissolved in pentane at a ratio of between 0.01 and 0.10 moles per liter.
8. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the solution of pentane and elemental iodine comprises elemental iodine dissolved in pentane at a ratio of about 0.0079 moles per liter.
9. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein after immersing the polyethersulfone or ion exchange resin-coated substrate in a solution of pentane and elemental iodine the polyethersulfone or ion exchange resin-coated substrate is then rinsed in pentane.
10. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the temperature of the gas stream is up to about 300° F.
11. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the polyethersulfone or resin-coated surface is a surface of a substrate wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of woven material, a fibrous mat, a porous solid, a non-porous solid, and a finely divided solid.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the substrate is a porous solid defining passageways through the solid, and wherein the passageways include at least one polyethersulfone or resin-coated surface.
13. An apparatus according to claim 1 which further comprises:
a chamber including a substrate support, a gas inlet and a gas outlet; and,
the polyethersulfone or resin-coated surface with the iodine disposed thereon disposed within the chamber.
14. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the polyethersulfone or Anion exchange resin-coated surface is a surface of a substrate wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of filter paper, filter tape, and a membrane.