Multicomponent compositions for mercury removal

Abstract

Herein are disclosed compositions of matter, processes of manufacture and processes of use of solid state admixtures that include an inorganic base and a sulfide selected from the group consisting of an ammonium sulfide, an alkali metal sulfide, an alkali-earth metal sulfide, transition metal sulfide, and a mixture thereof. The composition can include solid state inorganic bases (e.g., calcium hydroxide and sodium sesquicarbonate) and/or gaseous bases (e.g., ammonia) and, optionally, a support material for one or more of the inorganic base and sulfide. The compositions are useful for capturing environmental contaminants, for example, from the flue gas of a coal fired power plant.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising:
 a solid state admixture of an inorganic base and a sulfide selected from the group consisting of an ammonium sulfide, an alkali metal sulfide, an alkali-earth metal sulfide, transition metal sulfide, and a mixture thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  consisting essentially of an admixture of the inorganic base and the sulfide. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1  further comprising a support carrying the admixture. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the composition consists essentially of the support carrying the admixture. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claims 3 - 4 , wherein the support is selected from the group consisting of a silicate, an aluminate, an aluminosilicate, a carbon, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of any one of  claims 3 - 5 , wherein the support is a phyllosilicate selected from the group consisting of bentonite, montmorillonite, hectorite, beidellite, saponite, nontronite, volkonskoite, sauconite, stevensite, fluorohectorite, laponite, rectonite, vermiculite, illite, a micaceous mineral, makatite, kanemite, octasilicate (illierite), magadiite, kenyaite, attapulgite, palygorskite, sepoilite, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the inorganic base is selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, sodium sesquicarbonate (trisodium hydrogendicarbonate), sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the inorganic base is selected from the group consisting of calcium hydroxide, sodium sesquicarbonate, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sulfide is a polysulfide. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sulfide is a transition metal sulfide selected from the group consisting of a manganese sulfide, an iron sulfide, a cobalt sulfide, a nickel sulfide, a copper sulfide, a zinc sulfide, and a mixture thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of any one of  claims 3 - 10 , wherein the inorganic base is a calcium hydroxide, the sulfide is a copper sulfide and the support is selected from the group consisting of bentonite and montmorillonite. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of any one of  claims 3 - 10 , wherein the inorganic base is a calcium hydroxide, the sulfide is an alkali metal sulfide and the support is selected from the group consisting of bentonite and montmorillonite. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of any one of  claims 3 - 10 , wherein the inorganic base is sodium sesquicarbonate, the sulfide is a copper sulfide and the support is selected from the group consisting of bentonite and montmorillonite. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of any one of  claims 3 - 10 , wherein the inorganic base is sodium sesquicarbonate, the sulfide is an alkali metal sulfide and the support is selected from the group consisting of bentonite and montmorillonite. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of any one of  claim 3 - 14 , wherein the admixture is distributed on the surface of the support. 
     
     
         16 . The process of capturing an environmental contaminant from a fluid, the process comprising:
 admixing a fluid containing an environmental contaminant with the composition of any one of  claim 1 - 15 ; and   separating the fluid and the composition;   wherein the separated fluid includes a lower concentration of the environmental contaminant after separation from the composition.