Chemical Engineering & Technology, Vol.20, No.1, 40-42, 1997
Simultaneous oxidation of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide with ozone and hydrogen peroxide
The use of ozone and hydrogen peroxide for the simultaneous oxidation of nitrogen and sulfur oxides was studied in experiments carried out in a stirred cell. It was found that in a gas mixture, containing both nitrogen and sulfur oxides, only the nitrogen oxides are oxidized by ozone. Contrary to earlier results, sulfur dioxide does not disturb the oxidation of nitrogen oxides under dry conditions. The consumption of ozone in the oxidation of nitric oxide was slightly below the stoichiometric level because the ozone was introduced into the reactor in the oxygen flow. When the molar ratio between ozone and nitric oxide was more than 0.4, some of the nitric oxide was oxidized to higher oxides of nitrogen, the final product being a solid mixture of N2O5 and (NO)(2)S2O7. Some nitrosyl sulfuric acid was formed in the aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide in addition to sulfuric acid under wet conditions. Some white solid was found on the walls of the reactor. This solid is said in the literature to consist of H2SO4, HNOSO4 and (NO)(2)S2O7.