Efficient scrubbing of mercury vapour from natural gas streams has been demonstrated both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale, using chlorocuprate(II) ionic liquids impregnated on high surface area porous solid supports, resulting in the effective removal of mercury vapour from natural gas streams. This material has been commercialised for use within the petroleum gas production industry, and has currently been running continuously for three years on a natural gas plant in Malaysia. Here we report on the chemistry underlying this process, and demonstrate the transfer of this technology from gram to ton scale.
Solid-supported ionic liquids (ILs) have recently received attention as a potential effective technology for mercury removal from a gas stream. However, the leaching of ILs from the solid support has not been investigated in detail. In the present study, the stability of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) impregnated on silica and activated carbon was evaluated during elemental mercury removal (Hg 0 ) from a gas stream. Silica-and carbon-supported [Bmim]Cl-based adsorbents were characterized before and after Hg 0 adsorption by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller surface area analysis, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The carbon-supported adsorbent showed better stability (no leaching of ILs) compared to the silica-supported adsorbent because of the availability of substantial micropores. The lower stability of silica-supported ILs is attributed to the presence of mesopores on silica support, which holds [Bmim]Cl ineffectively in a gas flow of a high concentration of Hg 0 (15 ppm). The activated carbon-supported ILs, especially in a powdered form, showed higher adsorption efficiency of Hg 0 from a gas stream. The adsorption capacity of powdered carbon-supported [Bmim]Cl was 21 mg/g in 68 h of continuous adsorption.
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