(545z) The Production of Ammonium Sulfate from Sulfur Dioxide By the Desulfurization of a Flue Gas Using Aqueous Hydrogen Peroxide and Ammonium Solution

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is an inorganic gas that is known for its toxicity and harmful effects to the environment. Since the solubility of SO2 is very high compared to all the chemicals that are considered as air pollutants, it can easily be absorbed by water in the atmosphere. Therefore, the atmosphere becomes a hospitable environment for the formation of acid rain. The health impact of SO2 is that it’s an irritant to the respiratory system in humans and can cause serious damage to other body organs. Anthropogenic sources of SO2 add load on what both the earth and the atmosphere can endure. One anthropogenic source is the production of SO2 gas as a by-product in the combustion of coal and fossil fuel in industries. A perfect way to overcome the problem of SO2 is through the control and recycle of SO2 emission. By the process of flue gas desulfurization, SO2 can be controlled and recycled into ammonium sulfate which is a soil fertilizer. The process consists of reacting SO2 through series of chemical reactions using both aqueous hydrogen peroxide and ammonium solution to produce the desired product. The process has been introduced to Aspen-plus; a process simulation for the design of chemical plants to insure that this process is applicable and will produce the expected results. The outcome of the design showed promising results on the applicability of the process. From the results of the process simulation, the process will insure the complete consumption of SO2 and the production of ammonium sulfate at high purity enough for commercial use. It also showed a profitable plant design that will produce positive cash flow. The limitation present in this work is the physical application of the series of reactions to support the design results.