Removal of SO2 using ammonium bicarbonate aqueous solution as absorbent in a bubble column reactor

In this work, the removal of SO2 from gas mixture with air and SO2 by ammonium bicarbonate aqueous solution as absorbent was investigated experi- mentally in a bubble column reactor. The effects of the concentration of ammonium bicarbonate, the SO2 inlet concentration of gas phase and the gas flow rate on the removal rate of SO2 were studied. The results showed that the higher the SO2 inlet concentration and the gas flow rate, the shorter the lasting time of SO2 completely removed in gas outlet, and then the faster the decrease in the removal rate of SO2. The lasting time of SO2 completely removed in gas outlet increased with increasing ammonium bicarbonate concentration. During the process of SO2 absorption, there was a critical pH of solution. When the solution pH was less than the critical pH, it would sharply fall, resulting in a rapid decrease of the SO2 removal rate. A theoretical model for predicting the SO2 removal rate has been developed by taking the chemical enhancement and the sulfite concentration in the liquid phase into account simultaneously.