MERCURY ADSORBENT, PROCESS FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF AND METHOD OF ADSORPTIVE REMOVAL OF MERCURY

TO PROVIDE MERCURY-REMOVAL ADSORBENTS, A METHOD OF PRODUCING MERCURY-REMOVAL ADSORBENTS, AND A METHOD OF REMOVING MERCURY BY ADSORPTION WHICH ARE CAPABLE OF REALIZING EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF MERCURY BY ADSORPTION FROM LIQUID HYDROCARBON, THERMAL POWER STATION EXHAUST COMBUSTION GAS, NATURAL GAS, OFF GAS OF VARIOUS PROCESS PLANTS, AND SO ON WHICH CONTAIN MERCURIES IN VARIOUS FORMS SUCH AS ELEMENTAL MERCURY, IONIC MERCURY, AND ORGANIC MERCURY, AND A CONCOMITANT HINDERING MERCURY ADSORPTION. MERCURY-REMOVAL ADSORBENTS CARRIE POTASSIUM IODIDE IN AN AMOUNT OF 27 TO 70% OF A TOTAL ADSORBENT WEIGHT, AND A VOLUME OF PORES WITH A 1 µM PORE DIAMETER OR MORE IN THE MERCURY-REMOVAL ADSORBENTS IS 0.6 ML/G OR MORE. THESE MERCURY-REMOVAL ADSORBENTS ARE FILLED IN, FOR EXAMPLE, AN ADSORPTION TOWER 10, AND A HYDROCARBON LIQUID IS PASSED THERE THROUGH (MERCURY REMOVAL STEP). IN A CASE WHERE THE HYDROCARBON LIQUID CONTAINS SATURATED WATER, A DEHYDRATION UNIT 9 OR THE LIKE IS INSTALLED ON A PRECEDING STAGE OF THE ADSORPTION TOWER 10 TO DEHYDRATE THE HYDROCARBON LIQUID (DEHYDRATION STEP).