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West Virginia University

Coal desulfurization with sodium hypochlorite

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Wet desulfurization of Pittsburgh No. 8 coal and Illinois No. 6 coal were conducted with sodium hypochlorite in the laboratory. Pittsburgh No. 8 coal was leached by hypochlorite at high pHs in one step only. The hypochlorite concentration varied from 0.2 to 0.6 molar; sodium hydroxide concentration, from 0.2 to 0.8 molar; and temperature was at the levels of 80 and 90°C. The desulfurization of Illinois No. 6 coal was conducted in three consecutive steps of pretreatment in concentrated ammonia at room temperature, leaching with hypochlorite at room temperature and hydrolysis in a sodium hydroxide solution at 90°C. In the leaching step, hypochlorite concentration varied from 0.2 to 0.8 molar.;The desulfurization method of Pittsburgh No. 8 coal was found to reduce mainly pyritic sulfur. More than 70% of pyritic sulfur removal was achieved at the optimum conditions of 0.4 molar hypochlorite, 0.4 molar sodium hydroxide and 90°C. The desulfurization method for Illinois No. 6 coal was capable of reducing significant amounts of organic sulfur. The removal of organic sulfur achieved a 37.8% reduction at the optimum operation of leaching at 0.4 molar hypochlorite and room temperature followed by hydrolysis at 0.3 molar sodium hydroxide and 90°C. The chlorine content in the coal produced by the chlorination during leaching was kept below the threshold value of 0.3% at the optimum conditions of the desulfurization method for each coal.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
MS
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Year dc:date.available
2004

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Li, Wei
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Eung Ha Cho.

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-2501

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
West Virginia University
Base URL
researchrepository.wvu.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Li, Wei. Coal desulfurization with sodium hypochlorite. Thesis thesis, 2004. https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.1498