Johnson Matthey has been granted an exclusive licence from the US Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) for its high temperature palladium sorbent technology and patent to remove mercury and arsenic from syngas arising from coal gasification.

The technology, which is the result of research undertaken by Matthey in conjunction with NETL into evaluating and optimising palladium sorbent material properties and performance, also has the potential to remove selenium, cadmium and phosphorous.

Owing to the ability of palladium sorbents to operate at high temperatures of above 500C, they are able to remove mercury and arsenic far more efficiently than conventional activated carbon sorbents.

Although incidence of mercury in the atmosphere is at fairly low levels, it is thought that the technology will bring a raft of health benefits by minimising methylmercury in lakes, through which foetuses can become exposed by their mothers eating contaminated fish.

Exposure to methylmercury in this way has been found to result in increased risk of below par performances in neurobehavioural tasks.

Development of palladium sorbent comes as the Environment Protection Agency is enforcing its Clean Air Mercury Rule, thus necessitating a means of removing mercury in new clean coal processes at low cost.

Source:
Johnson Matthey Licenses DOE Patent to Remove Mercury and Arsenic from New IGCC Coal Power Plants
08/05/07
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