Effects of SO₂ and NO on removal of elemental mercury using a TiO₂-aluminum silicate fiber

A novel TiO₂-aluminum silicate fiber nanocomposite was prepared by sol-gel method, and used to remove the elemental mercury from a simulated coal-fired flue gas under UV irradiation at a wavelength of 253.7 nm. The effects of SO₂, NO and temperature on the photocatalytic removal of mercury were tested. The result shows that SO₂ has a stimulative effect on the photocatalytic removal of mercury at ambient temperature. The mercury removal can reach to 93% when the SO₂ concentration is 1 200 μg/m³. However, NO shows an inhibitory effect on the elemental mercury removal, and the removal efficiency decreases with the increasing of NO concentration. At high temperature, the effects of SO₂ and NO on the photocatalytic removal of mercury are the same as those at the normal temperature. The mercury removal efficiency decreases as the temperature increases. Elevating temperature shows an inhibitory effect on the photocatalytic removal of mercury.