Collaborative Effect of In-Plasma Catalysis with Sequential Na2SO3 Wet Scrubbing on Co-Elimination of NOx and VOCs from Simulated Sinter Flue Gas

Abstract

Sinter flue gas produced by the iron-ore sinter process in steel plants is characterized by a large gas volume and complex components. Among the major air pollutants, preliminary emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) exhibit an inevitable contribution to secondary aerosol and ozone formation. Herein, oxidation–absorption collaborative technology for in-plasma catalysis with sequential Na2SO3 wet scrubbing, aiming at co-elimination of NOx and VOCs from sinter flue gas, is proposed. Experimental parameters, including plasma discharge status, NO initial concentration, gas feed flux, Na2SO3 concentration, pH value, and absorption ions, were systematically investigated. The VOC and NOx removal performance of the integrated system was further investigated by taking simulated sinter flue gas as model pollutants. The results showed that the collaborative system has satisfactory performance for TVOC and NO removal rates for the effective oxidation of in-plasma catalysis and Na2SO3 absorption. The integration of plasma catalysis with Na2SO3 scrubbing could be an alternative technology for the co-elimination of sinter flue gas multi-compounds.