New sulfur dioxide conversion

Source: New sulfur dioxide conversion method may transform current industrial techniques

To test this process, the team loaded an iron sulfide catalyst into a packed bed reactor. Then they introduced the hydrogen and the sulfur dioxide gas mixtures, which passed through the catalyst bed at roughly 300 degrees Fahrenheit. They then turned on the nonthermal plasma and the reactions immediately began to occur.

Once the process completed, they analyzed the samples to see how much sulfur dioxide was in the gas and how much hydrogen was consumed. They also collected and analyzed the solid sulfur, which accumulates at the bottom of the reactor. They published their results in ACS Catalysis and a recent issue of the Journal of Catalysis.

"The temperature we used, 150 degrees C (about 300 degrees F), is higher than the sulfur melt point to avoid sulfur deposition over the catalyst," Wang said. "Through this process, the catalyst shows very excellent stability. When run for several hours, we do not see any deactivation. The activity and the selectivity stay the same."​

Source_2: How much cobalt is used in refining oil? How much is used in electric car batteries? - Quora

It takes about 1 pound of cobalt to remove the sulfur from 80,000 gallons of petroleum products, like gasoline. 80,000 gallons would power a car for about 2.4 million miles, but 98.8% of that cobalt is recoverable, meaning we permanently lose only a pound of cobalt for every 6.6 million gallons we refine.

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Rechargeable battery cathodes contain up to 33% cobalt. Since batteries are small, that doesn’t sound like much, but we make lots of them. 50% of all the cobalt we use ends up in rechargeable batteries, and since the advent of battery powered electric cars, the amount of cobalt used has mushroomed to around 25,000 tons. At current rates, it’s expected to hit 100,000 tons within 5 years.​

Seeing sulfur dioxide removed by this new technique begs the question of whether it could be used to reduce or eliminate cobalt in refineries.

Bob Wilson