Utilization of Sulphur Dioxide from the Metallurgical Process Emission
The metallurgical industry is a major contributor to sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. The burning of coal combustion, in metallurgical process, can produce a large amount of sulfur dioxide gas. Sulfur dioxide is an air pollutant, which can lead to serious environmental and health problems. However, sulfur dioxide gas can be transformed into useful products and can be utilized economically to replace nonrenewable natural resources in many applications.
In metallurgy, the smelting furnace mainly uses coal as the fuel source. During the process of the combustion, huge SO2 emissions are generated. Usually the SO2 generated are discharged directly into the atmosphere and becomes a huge burden on the environment. To prevent such pollution, the coal used must be desulphurized first. After the pretreatment, the SO2 content in the flue gas is reduced and the environment can be protected to greater extent.
Meanwhile, the SO2 content in the flue gas can also be recycled and transformed. By using the soda-ash method, zinc-dust method, sulfuric-acid method, active-sulfur method and solid-oxidation method, the SO2 content in the flue gas can be processed and the converted sulphur can be collected and reused. The zinc-dust method is mainly for the processing and reuse of sulfur dioxide that comprises mostly of sulfur. The active-sulfur method is mainly for the recovery of sulfur dioxide from the metallurgical process flue gas, which has high dust content. The solid-oxidation method can be used for recovering sulfur dioxide from metallurgical processes which has a low content of dust particles.
It is possible to convert the SO2 content in the flue gas into potential commercial products. Sulfuric acid, alkali and gypsum can be obtained from the sulfur dioxide flue gas emission in various process. The sulfuric acid can be used in fertilizer or acid pickling industry. Alkali can be used in papermaking and pharmaceutical industries. The process of transforming and developed SO2 can also be used in the manufacture of battery, artificial absorbent, fire-resistance materials and other applications.
The utilization of sulfur dioxide from the metallurgical process spews can provide multiple economic benefits. It plays an important role in reducing the SO2 content in the flue gas, minimizing the destruction of ecosystem through air pollution, reducing the emission of greenhouse gases, and recovering valuable resources from the flue gas that can be used for producing other high-valued products. Furthermore, the recovery of SO2 from the metallurgical process waste can also be used to stimulate the industrial production, bringing potential macro-economic benefits.
To ensure the safe and effective utilization of the SO2 from the metallurgical process flue gas emissions, it is important to consider the environmental impacts associated with these utilizations. Operational and design safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the emissions associated with the recovery operations are adequately controlled and no further environmental or health risks are caused by the utilizations.
To sum up, the utilization of SO2 content from the metallurgical process flue gas can provide multiple economical and environmental benefits. The conversion of this SO2 emission can help to reduce air pollution, conserve energy and reduce the consumption of nonrenewable natural resources. The environmental and health impacts associated with such utilizations should also be taken into consideration. Appropriate safeguards must be put in place before applying these utilization processes to ensure the safety and effectiveness of these utilizations.
