Process for producing sodium bicarbonate for flue gas desulphurization

1. A process for producing sodium bicarbonate for purifying flue gases, comprising: subjecting an aqueous solution containing primary sodium sulphate to electrodialysis to produce a sodium hydroxide solution and a sodium bisulfate solution, the sodium hydroxide solution being carbonated in order to obtain sodium bicarbonate.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the electrodialysis is carried out in a two-compartment electrodialyzer.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the sodium hydroxide is carbonated by means of a gas comprising carbon dioxide obtained by reaction of sodium bisulfate with calcium carbonate, with co-production of secondary sodium sulfate and gypsum.

4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the co-produced secondary sodium sulfate is recycled and subjected to electrodialysis.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the primary sodium sulfate is a residue of the flue gas purification in sulfur oxides by means of sodium bicarbonate.

6. A process for purifying a flue gas that contains sulfur oxides, comprising injecting a reactant containing at least 10% of the sodium bicarbonate obtained by the process according to claim 1 into a duct in which the flue gas flows.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the reactant contains at least 50% of said sodium bicarbonate.

8. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the reactant is in the form of powder having an average particle diameter between 5 and 50 μm.

9. A process for producing sodium bicarbonate for purifying flue gases, comprising: subjecting an aqueous solution containing primary sodium sulfate to electrodialysis to produce a sodium hydroxide solution and a sodium bisulfate solution, the sodium hydroxide solution being carbonated in order to obtain sodium bicarbonate, wherein at the end of the carbonation of the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, sodium bicarbonate is crystallized to obtain an aqueous suspension of sodium bicarbonate crystals.

10. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the sodium bicarbonate crystals are separated from the suspension and then dried.

11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein the co-produced secondary sodium sulfate is recycled and subjected to electrodialysis.

12. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the sodium hydroxide is carbonated by means of a gas comprising carbon dioxide obtained by reaction of sodium bisulfate with calcium carbonate, with co-production of secondary sodium sulfate and gypsum.

13. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the sodium hydroxide is carbonated in two steps:

a first carbonation step in which the sodium hydroxide solution is carbonated by means of a gas containing less than 50% by weight of CO 2 to obtain a sodium carbonate solution with a sodium carbonate concentration greater than 20% by weight; and

a second carbonation step in which the sodium carbonate solution obtained following this first carbonation is (bi)carbonated by means of a gas containing more than 50% by weight of CO 2 to obtain said sodium bicarbonate.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the two steps for carbonation of the sodium hydroxide solution use different gas-liquid contactors.

15. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the primary sodium sulfate is a residue of the flue gas purification in sulfur oxides by means of sodium bicarbonate.

16. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the electrodialysis is carried out in a two-compartment electrodialyzer.

17. The process according to claim 16 , wherein the electrodialyzer comprises bipolar membranes and cationic membranes in alternation, said bipolar membranes comprising an anionic face and a cationic face; wherein basic compartments located between the anionic face of the bipolar membrane and the cationic membrane are fed with water or with a dilute NaOH solution, which is further concentrated in NaOH at the outlet of such compartments; and wherein acid compartments located between the cationic face of the bipolar membrane and the cationic membrane are fed with the solution of Na 2 SO 4 .