High mechanical strength sorbent product, system, and method for controlling multiple pollutants from process gas

1. A sorbent product for removing sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and/or mercury (Hg) from a gas stream, comprising:

from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product, of at least one base sorbent material;

from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product, of at least one binder; and

from about 1 wt % to about 5% wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product, of at least one additional additive, wherein the at least one additional additive is at least one material selected from the group consisting of ammonia salts, ammonia chloride, ammonia sulfate, urea, acid, base, nitric acid, iron oxides, complex metal ions, Fe-EDTA, iron hydroxides, metal, metal oxide, alkaline earth metal, and sand,

wherein said at least one binder forms a bonded network for supporting said at least one base sorbent material, and wherein said sorbent product does not contain sulfur.

2. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one base sorbent material is at least one material selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, activated coke, activated charcoal, activated carbon fibers, biochars, chars, zeolites and other molecular sieves, silica sorbents, and polymethylsiloxane polyhydrate.

3. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one base sorbent material has a starting surface area of from about 10 to about 1,500 m 2 /gram.

4. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one base sorbent material has an average pore size less than 20 Å and less than 50% of the total pore volume is a fraction of mesopores as determined by the BJH method.

5. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one base sorbent material is from about 15 wt % to about 85 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product.

6. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one base sorbent material is powdered activated carbon with a starting area of greater than 200 m 2 /gram.

7. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sorbent product has a mechanical strength as measured by Roga Index of greater than 95%.

8. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder is at least one material selected from the group consisting of alumina, aluminates, aluminum, aluminum phosphate, asphalt, attapulgite, bitumen, bentonite clay, borate glass, calcium chromites, calcium compounds, calcium fluoride, calcium germinate, calcium oxide, calcium sulfate, carboxymethlycellulose (CMC), casein, cellulose, cellulose ethers, cement, clay, colloidal silica, epoxy resin, flour, fly ash, fuller's earth, glycerol, guar gum, gums, iron humate, iron oxide, kaolin clay, laponite, lignosulfonates, lime, lime kiln dust, magnesium chloride, magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, metal carbides, metal carbonyls, metals, molasses, montmorillonite, natural or synthetic resin, nitrophenols, novalac phenolic resin, organosilicons, phenol resins, phenolic resin polymers, phosphoronitrile dichloride polymers, pickling liquors, pitch, polyacrylonitrile, polyester resins, Portland cement, potassium silicate, pulp mill wastewater, resin, sawdust, shellac, silica, silicates, silicides, silicon carbide, sodium silicate, starch, tar, wollastonite, and zinc compounds.

9. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder comprises a first binder material and a second binder material:

said first binder material being selected from the group consisting of clays, clay, bentonite clay, attapulgite, fuller's earth, kaolin clay, laponite, and wollastonite; and

said second binder material being selected from the group consisting of colloidal silica, potassium silicate, silica, silicates, silicides, silicon carbide, and sodium silicate.

10. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one binder is from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product.

11. The sorbent product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sorbent product is thermally stable at temperatures up to 450° C. in the presence of water vapor.

12. A method for making the sorbent product of claim 1 , comprising:

providing a source of at least one base sorbent material;

providing a source of at least one binder;

providing a source of water;

mixing the at least one base sorbent material, at least one binder, and water to produce a sorbent product mixture;

forming the sorbent product mixture into at least one of a shape, form, and coating; and

drying the at least one of the shape, form, and coating to produce the sorbent product.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:

providing a source of at least one additional additive.

14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the mixing comprises:

mixing the at least one additional additive.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the mixing comprises:

mixing together the dry compounds then adding and mixing the wet compounds to the dry compounds.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the forming comprises:

forming the sorbent product mixture into at least one shape selected from the group consisting of cylindrical, cubic, rectangular, and spherical.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the forming comprises:

forming the sorbent product mixture into pellets.

18. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the drying comprises:

drying the formed sorbent product at a temperature ranging from 60° C. to 250° C.

19. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the forming comprises:

coating the sorbent product mixture onto a substrate.

20. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the water is from about 15 wt % to about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent formula.

21. A system for removing sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and/or mercury (Hg) in a process gas, comprising:

a source of the process gas; and

a pollutant control unit containing one or more sorbent products, the one or more sorbent products comprising from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product, of at least one base sorbent material; from about 1 wt % to about 99 wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product, of at least one binder; and from about 1 wt % to about 5% wt %, based on the total weight of the sorbent product, of at least one additional additive, wherein the at least one additional additive is at least one material selected from the group consisting of ammonia salts, ammonia chloride, ammonia sulfate, urea, acid, base, nitric acid, iron oxides, complex metal ions, FeEDTA, iron hydroxides, metal, metal oxide, alkaline earth metal, and sand,

wherein said at least one binder forms a bonded network for supporting said at least one base sorbent material, and wherein said one or more sorbent products does not contain sulfur.

22. The system as recited in claim 21 , wherein the pollutant control unit comprises:

one or more units selected from the group consisting of a packed bed unit, a direct contact unit, a rotary contact unit, and a recycling unit.

23. The system as recited in claim 21 , further comprising:

a desorption unit for desorbing the multiple pollutants from the one or more sorbent products.

24. A method for controlling multiple pollutants in a process gas, comprising:

contacting the process gas with the sorbent product of claim 1 .

25. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the contacting comprises:

flowing the process gas through a packed bed comprising the sorbent products.

26. The method as recited in claim 24 , wherein the contacting comprises:

injecting the sorbent products into the process gas.

27. The method as recited in claim 24 , further comprising:

desorbing the multiple pollutants from the sorbent product; and

recycling the sorbent product for contacting the process gas.