Silica-titania-coated packing: Novel solution capable of 90% Hg capture with low operation and maintenance costs

A silica-titania composite (STC) material has been commercialized for mercury removal from caustic exhaust at a U.S. chlor-alkali facility employing a mercury-cell process. A second-generation STC, applicable to larger flow rates such as those associated with coal-fired boiler flue gas, was developed and evaluated for this study. This new material, consisting of high void space chemical tower packing dip coated with an STC formula, was named Silica-Titania-Coated Packing (STCP). The STCP was capable of 90% oxidation and removal of mercury from a simulated flue gas under conditions where other technologies would fail. Additionally, a preliminary cost estimate determined that the STCP would have much lower average annual costs than two commercial technologies that are widely accepted as the best available for this application.