Removing sulfur-containing compounds from smokestack gases. (R & D Update)

Removing sulfur-containing compounds from smokestack gases

Significant progress has been reported into the development of a new one-step electrochemical process for removing sulfur-containing compounds from smokestack gases. The work could become increasingly important as coal-burning utilities face tighter restrictions on their emission of the sulfur oxide compounds which cause acid rain.

The process under development at the Georgia Institute of Technology would provide an alternative to |scrubber' technology now used for cleaning up flue gases. The electrochemical technique is particularly attractive because it requires no chemical input and produces a …