Abstract: “To decrease the operating cost of flue gas purification technologies based on carbon-based materials, the adsorption and desorption performances of low-price semi-coke and activated coke were compared for SO2 and NO removal in a simulated flue gas. The functional groups of two adsorbents before and after regeneration were determined by a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer, and were quantitatively tested using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) coupled with FTIR and acid-base titration. The results show that semicoke has higher adsorption amounts (16.2% for SO2 and 38.6% for NO) than activated coke because of its richer basic functional groups and lactone. After regeneration, the adsorption performances of semi-coke decrease because the active functional groups decreased and the micropores increased. Semi-coke has a better regeneration performance than activated coke. Semi-coke has a larger SO2 recovery of 7.2% and a smaller carbon consumption of 12% than activated coke”

Keywords: functional group; SO2 recovery; adsorption; carbon consumption