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US4503020A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of producing calcium sulfate semihydrate in conjunction with the desulfurization of flue gases

Assignee: Gottfried Bischoff Bau Kompl Gasreinigungs und Wasserrueckkehlanlagen GmbH and Co KG
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Filing: 1983-10-28
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Granted: 1985-03-05
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Expires: 2003-10-28
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Abstract

Abstract Calcium sulfate dihydrate in large crystal form is produced by maintaining the circulation of the lime containing scrubbing solution in the desulfurization scrubbing of flue gases from a power plant boiler so that it has a residence time of 5 to 25 hours, preferably 15 hours. The crystals are moved by passing a portion of the recirculation through a thinner in which a sludge containing crystals with a mean particle size of which 90% is in excess of 100 microns is removed. This product can be dewatered and treated with sulfuric acid and steam to convert it to the alpha semihydrate and is free from sulfite.

Inventors

  • 👤 Helmut Weissert
  • 👤 Karl-Rudolf Hegemann

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-05 08:45
CPC Classifications
C; C01; C01F; C01F11/00; C01F11/46; C01F11/466; B; B01; B01D; B01D53/00; B01D53/34; B01D53/46; B01D53/48; B01D53/50; B01D53/501; C01F11/464; C01P; C01P2004/00; C01P2004/60; C01P2004/61

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 217 words
A method of producing calcium sulfate alpha semihydrate in conjunction with the desulfurization of a flue gas comprising the steps of: (a) treating a flue gas containing sulfur compounds in a scrubbing column with a lime-containing aqueous scrubbing suspension and collecting said suspension in a sump of said column whereby said suspension includes sulfite; (b) introducing oxygen in the form of air or oxygen enriched air directly into said column to oxidize sulfite to sulfate and form calcium sulfate dihydrate in the suspension in said sump; (c) recirculating said suspension from said sump through said column so that said suspension has a mean residence time in such recirculation of substantially 5 to 25 hours; (d) maintaining the temperature of the recirculated suspension during the recirculation thereof at substantially 45° to 50° C.; (e) during such recirculation, feeding a portion of the recirculated suspension to a thickener and recovering from said thickener a sludge containing calcium sulfate dihydrate crystals of a particle size distribution such that at least 90% has a particle size about 100 microns; (f) dewatering the resulting sludge; (g) treating the dewatered calcium sulfate dihydrate from step (f) with sulfuric acid at a temperature of at most 100° C. to convert it to calcium sulfate alpha semihydrate; and (h) washing the alpha semihydrate with water.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 217 words
A method of producing calcium sulfate alpha semihydrate in conjunction with the desulfurization of a flue gas comprising the steps of: (a) treating a flue gas containing sulfur compounds in a scrubbing column with a lime-containing aqueous scrubbing suspension and collecting said suspension in a sump of said column whereby said suspension includes sulfite; (b) introducing oxygen in the form of air or oxygen enriched air directly into said column to oxidize sulfite to sulfate and form calcium sulfate dihydrate in the suspension in said sump; (c) recirculating said suspension from said sump through said column so that said suspension has a mean residence time in such recirculation of substantially 5 to 25 hours; (d) maintaining the temperature of the recirculated suspension during the recirculation thereof at substantially 45° to 50° C.; (e) during such recirculation, feeding a portion of the recirculated suspension to a thickener and recovering from said thickener a sludge containing calcium sulfate dihydrate crystals of a particle size distribution such that at least 90% has a particle size about 100 microns; (f) dewatering the resulting sludge; (g) treating the dewatered calcium sulfate dihydrate from step (f) with sulfuric acid at a temperature of at most 100° C. to convert it to calcium sulfate alpha semihydrate; and (h) washing the alpha semihydrate with water.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said residence time is greater than 15 hours.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said temperature in step (g) is substantially 70° to 80° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method defined in claim 1 wherein said sludge is dewatered in step (f) in a hydrocyclone.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 34 words
The method defined in claim 2 wherein the sludge after dewatering in step (f) is subjected to treatment with steam to maintain its temperature between substantially 80° to 100° C. prior to step (g).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method defined in claim 5 wherein the dewatered sludge is treated with steam in a layer on a moving surface.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2080779A Cited
US2090142A Cited
US3808321A Cited
JPS5351199A Cited
US4374812A Cited
JPS55113621A Cited
JPS56149322A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-03-04 1988-09-03 1989-03-05 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-03-04 1992-09-03 1993-03-05 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-03-04 1996-09-03 1997-03-05 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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