Collaboration
World Gold Council and Queen’s University Belfast have agreed a research collaboration to develop a gold-based catalyst for removing mercury contamination in the flue gases of coal-fired power stations.
The aim is to develop new catalysts that provide higher activity and stability, are more effective and longer-lasting than the existing technology, which is currently undergoing testing in a US power plant under the auspices of the US Department of Energy.
Interest in reducing mercury emissions has increased recently with the introduction of US legislation to cut emissions to around 90 percent of their current values by 2011–2015. It is estimated that 4,400 to 7,500 metric tons of mercury are emitted in the atmosphere globally every year, approximately two thirds of which are through human activity.
Most forms of mercury can be removed from flue gas streams through physical processing, however some forms need to be oxidised first, and this is the role that catalysts play. Previous research examining the effectiveness of a number of metal-based catalysts has singled out gold-based systems as one of the most promising.
Gold has a high conversion level, which is maintained over longer periods of time than alternative materials, most of which show a decrease in activity and effectiveness over time. This research aims to investigate the reasons for this and develop a system that will circumvent the problems associated with existing technology, making catalysts more effective and long-lasting. It will also investigate a method by which the catalyst may be reactivated after use.
The research is being funded over the next three years by World Gold Council’s Gold Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) Programme, which co-funds potential new scientific and industrial uses of gold. This research could feed new formulations into commercial applications of catalysts in the next few years, following the completion of the US trial.
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