053 Harrison Woca2017p

2017 World of Coal Ash (WOCA) Conference in Lexington, KY - May 9-11, 2017
http://www.flyash.info/
Using Mercury Capture Systems with Fly Ash for

Cement Manufacturing
Melissa Harrison, P.E.1, Christopher Poling1, Thomas Lesniak1
1 Mercury Capture Systems, PO Box 335, Newtown, CT 06470
CONFERENCE: 2017 World of Coal Ash – (www.worldofcoalash.org)
KEYWORDS: mercury, coal combustion product, CCP, fly ash, beneficiation, activated
carbon, dust shuttling, sorbent injection, kiln, cement, concrete, NESHAP, CISWI,
cement kiln dust, CKD, pond, impound, emissions control, CCP, loss on ignition, LOI
ABSTRACT
Mercury Capture Systems has a proven system to thermally desorb and chemically
capture mercury from materials such as fly ash and cement kiln dust (CKD). Mercury
concentrations of fly ash, CKD, and activated carbon have been reduced by more than
99%. The fly ash can then be used as a cement plant raw material, with virtually no
contributions to plant mercury emissions.
Recent National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) and
upcoming Commercial or Industrial Solid Waste Incinerator (CISWI) regulations limit
mercury emissions from cement manufacturers. Some cement plants are limited on
mercury inputs as well. Using Mercury Capture Systems to process a mercury laden fly
ash allows that ash to be utilized as a raw material. Depending on the cement plant,
removing mercury from a raw material is a more effective emissions control solution
than dust shuttling or sorbent injection.
This technology utilizes a reagent, not activated carbon or sorbents for mercury control.
The same technology can beneficiate ponded or impounded coal combustion products
(CCP) for use in a cement kiln or reducing LOI for use in ready mix concrete.
THE MERCURY CAPTURE PROCESS
Mercury Capture Systems was initially developed to capture the mercury emitted by
cement kilns originating from the volatilization of mercury inherent in the raw materials
and fuels. This was achieved by processing cement kiln dust (CKD) as it functions as a
partial sorbent of mercury from the exhaust gas stream.
MCS has two steps; in the first step, mercury is thermally desorbed from CKD, and the
second step chemically captures the mercury from the resulting vapor stream. These
steps are achieved in the Thermal Desorber Gas Reactor, which can also process coal
fly ash, sorbents or any other industrial powder. The feed material temperature is raised
to 356˚C in the Thermal Desorber while generating very little nuisance dust. Elemental
mercury and ionic mercury are volatilized and released from the feed. Extensive testing
with CKD has shown mercury reduction values of greater than 99%.
The Thermal Desorber creates a small concentrated heavy metal gas stream. The gas
stream passes through a high temperature baghouse to the Gas Reactor. The reagents
utilized in the Gas Reactor combine with the mercury and any other heavy metals on a
molar basis. Sorbent trap testing has confirmed an average mercury capture rate of
more than 95%. The reaction forms a precipitate that is separated from the gas stream
and collected independently. The precipitate has been tested and confirmed to be non-
leachable even with high concentrations of heavy metals.
The Gas Reactor is a modified scrubber originally designed to remove particulate from
an exhaust gas. Unreacted reagent is returned to the Gas Reactor. As the reagent is
spent, additional reagent is added to the system to maintain the over 95% mercury
capture efficiency. There is no liquid effluent generated. Air emissions consist primarily
of water vapor and very low concentrations of H2S.
As previously mentioned, the technology is useful for fly ash, sorbents and other
powders. Those materials have been process and the Thermal Desorber data is shown
in Table 1. Activated carbon and fly ash both had mercury removal rates over 99%,
similar to CKD results.
Table 1. Summary of Desorption Results for Several Materials.

Total Hg Mercury
Average Desorber Average Desorber Removal
Feed Material Inlet ppm Outlet ppm Efficiency
Cement Kiln Dust
2.16 non-detect > 99%
(0.4 – 41 ppm)
Activated Carbon
171.74 1.48 99.1%
(max. 240 ppm)
Fly Ash
1.50 non-detect > 99%
(0.2 – 1.5 ppm)
MCS technology can be applied not only to CKD, but also to fly ash used as a raw
material in a cement plant. Table 2 details several different fly ashes tested in the
Thermal Desorber and shows mercury reductions of over 98% to non-detect values.
Loss on ignition (LOI) values were encouraging at less than 2%. What had previously
had been an high LOI fly ash with added sorbent can be processed with MCS and used
as a raw material in cement plant or as an added value supplementary cementitious
material. Ponded or impounded CCP can be reclaimed using the technology.
Table 2: Fly Ash Processing Results at 10 and 15 Minutes
Temperature Initial Mercury Final Mercury Initial Final LOI
Range Content (ppb) Contents (ppb) LOI (%) Range (%)
482 - 510 °C
Group 1 1,370 < 20 8.1 1.0 - 1.8
900 - 950 °F
482 - 510 °C
Group 2 1,500 <20 9.7 0.5 - 2.0
900 - 950 °F
427 - 482 °C
Group 3 < 60 2 0.1 - 0.3
800 - 900 °F
In addition, the Gas Reactor can be used independently of the Thermal Desorber. This
has implications for gas streams containing volatilized mercury and volumes less than
3,000 cfm. One potential application is mercury emissions reductions from gypsum
kettles.
Mercury Capture Systems has been field tested at an operating cement plant and
confirmed the thermal desorption and mercury capture rates of over 95%. The most
recent installation is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Mercury Capture System Cement Plant Installation

SUMMARY
Mercury Capture Systems has developed an innovative method of assisting the cement
industry in its compliance with recent mercury emissions limits. Using a reagent,
volatilized mercury that has been thermally desorbed from CKD is chemically captured
and bound. The precipitate is non-leachable and water insoluble. Desorption rates are
over 99% and mercury capture rates exceed 95%. CKD is returned to the cement kiln,
and the removed mercury is eliminated from potential stack emission.
This technology is transferrable to other mercury containing powders. Testing has

shown that thermal desorption with activated carbon and fly ash is greater than 98%.
These materials can be reused or further processed with the knowledge that they are
virtually mercury free.
In addition to processing other powders, the Gas Reactor can be used to remove
mercury vapor from low volume gas streams. Industrial processes that calcine materials
such as synthetic gypsum may result in mercury emissions. Those gas streams
containing mercury with volumes less than 3,000 cfm can be processed with the Gas
Reactor to remove over 95% of the mercury content.

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2017 World of Coal Ash (WOCA) Conference in Lexington, KY - May 9-11, 2017

Using Mercury Capture Systems with Fly Ash for

CONFERENCE: 2017 World of Coal Ash – (www.worldofcoalash.org)

THE MERCURY CAPTURE PROCESS

Table 1. Summary of Desorption Results for Several Materials.

Figure 1: Mercury Capture System Cement Plant Installation

This technology is transferrable to other mercury containing powders. Testing has

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