The chemical behaviors of nitrogen dioxide absorption in sulfite solution

Abstract

The simultaneous removal of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) by absorption is considered to be one of the most promising technologies for flue gas treatment, and sulfite is the main component of the absorption solution. To understand the chemical behaviors of the NO2 absorption in sulfite solution, the absorption time dependences of concentrations of nitrogen and sulfur compositions in both gas phase and liquid phases were investigated by flue gas analyzer, Ion chromatography (IC), Gas chromatography (GC), and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) methods using a bubbling reactor. The mass equilibrium of the N and S compositions were also studied. The results indicate that sulfite concentration plays a vital role in NO2 absorption. The main absorption products are NO3- and NO2-, and NO2- can be converted into NO3- in the presence of oxygen. Besides, about 4% to 9% by-products of S compositions are formed, and 4% to 11% by-products of N compositions such as NO, N2, N2O5, N2O, and HNO3 in the gas phase were detected in the emissions from the bubbling reactor. On the basis of N and S compositions, a possible pathway of NO2 absorption in sulfite solution was proposed.