摘要 |
The treatment, through a dry adsorption process, of a gas from a hot electrolytic process for aluminium production comprises at least two stages (3, 4). Particulate aluminium oxide (the adsorbent) passes through the stages (3, 4) of the adsorption process contercurrently to the gas. Thus, the gas is treated with a partly spent adsorbent in a first dry adsorption stage, whereupon the particulate adsorbent is separated from the gas downstream from the first adsorption stage. Part of the separated particulate adsorbent is removed (33) from the adsorption process with a view to recycling adsorbed fluorine- containing substances to the electrolytic process. The remainder of the separated adsorbent is recirculated in the first adsorption stage in order to optimise the adsorption of fluorine-containing substances and the desorption of sulphur dioxide in this stage. Simultaneously, the gas is transferred to a second dry adsorption stage. In this second stag, the gas is treated with essentially unspent, tractive particulate aluminium oxide, so that any gaseous fluoride remaining in the gas is very efficiently adsorbed, while at the same time a substantial part of the sulphur dioxide in the gas is also adsorbed. Finally, this particulate aluminium oxide is separated from the gas downstream from the second dryadsorption stage, before the gas is discharged into the surrounding atmosphere. The separated aluminium oxide is transferred to the first adsorption stage, optionally after passing a desorption stage (8) for the removal of adsorbed sulphur dioxide in order to reduce the discharges of sulphur dioxide from the aluminium production. The separation of sulphur dioxide in the second adsorption stage is improved by recycling, to the second adsorption stage, aluminium oxide having undergone the desorption treatment.
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