Flue gas desulfurization process

Claim 1

A process for removing sulfur dioxide from waste gas by a wet scrubbing absorption process comprising passing the waste gas into a reaction zone; contacting the waste gas in the reaction zone with an aqueous medium containing calcium carbonate and a magnesium sulfate; adding an aqueous reactant containing slurry to the reaction zne during the reaction of said waste gas with said aqueous medium, said reactant containing slurry containing a ground, partially calcined naturally-occurring limestone reactant selected from the group consisting of magnesium limestone containing 5 to about 45% weight percent magnesium carbonate and dolomitic limestone containing from 35 to 46 weight percent magnesium carbonate, said limestone reactant having been burned at a temperature within the range from about 590° C. to about 725° to produce a partially calcined product wherein the calcium component thereof is principally calcium carbonate and the magnesium component thereof is principally magnesium oxide, and said partially calcined limestone product thereafter being ground to produce the ground, partially calcined limestone reactant; permitting the waste gas to react with said aqueous medium and slurry in the reaction zone under conditions and for a time to permit the sulfur dioxide to be absorbed therein and thereafter withdrawing the cleaned waste gas from the reaction zone.