Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing discharges into the atmosphere of mercury pollutants associated with dry process, precalciner cement manufacturing is shown. Raw feed meal used in cement production is heated in a special heating chamber to drive off volatile mercury pollutants, such as elemental mercury and mercury oxides. Preferably, the feed meal is heated to a temperature of at least 175° C. The gases that are driven off flow are then cooled to condense the mercury pollutants causing them to be adsorbed on carbon particles injected into the gas flow. The carbon particles containing the condensed mercury pollutants are then filtered out of gas flow, for example, using a fabric filter. The gas flow may be burned to destroy other volatile pollutants such as hydrocarbons and/or ammonia.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing air pollutants associated with dry process, precalciner cement manufacturing is shown. Raw feed meal used in cement production is heated in a special heating chamber to drive off volatile compounds, such as organic materials and salts of ammonia. Preferably, the feed meal is heated to a temperature of at least 350° F. The gases that are driven off flow to the precalciner where they are combusted and rendered harmless. Heat is provided by diverting at least a portion of the exhaust gases from the cement pyroprocessing kiln to the special heater. The raw feed meal is indirectly heated using a heat exchange wall between the feed meal and the kiln exhaust gas flow. In addition, a base-containing material such as lime or precalcined feed meal, may be added to the raw feed before treatment meal to promote the breakdown of inorganic ammonium compounds, thereby releasing gaseous ammonia which is also destroyed upon subsequent combustion.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing discharges into the atmosphere of mercury pollutants associated with dry process, precalciner cement manufacturing is shown. Raw feed meal used in cement production is heated in a special heating chamber to drive off volatile mercury pollutants, such as elemental mercury and mercury oxides. Preferably, the feed meal is heated to a temperature of at least 175° C. The gases that are driven off flow are then cooled to condense the mercury pollutants causing them to be adsorbed on carbon particles injected into the gas flow. The carbon particles containing the condensed mercury pollutants are then filtered out of gas flow, for example, using a fabric filter. The gas flow may be burned to destroy other volatile pollutants such as hydrocarbons and/or ammonia.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing air pollutants associated with dry process, precalciner cement manufacturing is shown. Raw feed meal used in cement production is heated in a special heating chamber to drive off volatile compounds, such as organic materials and salts of ammonia. Preferably, the feed meal is heated to a temperature of at least 350° F. The gases that are driven off flow to the precalciner where they are combusted and rendered harmless. Heat is provided by diverting at least a portion of the exhaust gases from the cement pyroprocessing kiln to the special heater. The raw feed meal is indirectly heated using a heat exchange wall between the feed meal and the kiln exhaust gas flow. In addition, abase-containing material such as lime or precalcined feed meal, may be added to the raw feed before treatment meal to promote the breakdown of inorganic ammonium compounds, thereby releasing gaseous ammonia which is also destroyed upon subsequent combustion.

Abstract: The liquid cooling spray in a gas conditioning chamber is modified by the addition of an alkali to scrub sulfuir dioxide and other acid forming gases and a separation unit to remove particles that may contain either unreacted alkali or salts of the acid forming gases. A slurry of fine particles of hydrated lime is injected into the liquid coolant under conditions that result in kernels of controllable size that contain the alkali or salts from reactions with the acid forming gases. The modified cooling liquid provides for a high sulfur dioxide collection efficiency at a low molar ratio of alkali to sulfur, while the specified kernel size range allows fbr efficient removal of the kernels from the gas.

Abstract: The liquid cooling spray in a gas conditioning chamber is modified by the addition of an alkali to scrub sulfur dioxide and other acid forming gases and a separation unit to remove particles that may contain either unreacted alkali or salts of the acid forming gases. A slurry of fine particles of hydrated lime is injected into the liquid coolant under conditions that result in kernels of controllable size that contain the alkali or salts from reactions with the acid forming gases. The modified cooling liquid provides for a high sulfur dioxide collection efficiency at a low molar ratio of alkali to sulfur, while the specified kernel size range allows for efficient removal of the kernels from the gas.

Abstract: A method is provided for abating acidic contaminants, such as sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride, in exhaust gases while minimizing the formation of visible plumes of ammonium salts proximate to the outlet of the exhaust stack by injecting a spray of an alkaline liquid, such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide, into the contaminated exhaust gases wherein the pH of the alkaline liquid is high enough, i.e. greater than a pH of about 11, so that the acidic contaminants preferentially react with the alkaline liquid rather than the ammonia in the gases, thereby minimizing formation of visible plumes of ammonium salts.