Photocatalytic Oxidation of SO2 from Flue Gas in the Presence of Mn/Copper Slag as a Novel Nanocatalyst: Optimizations by Box-Behnken Design

One of the principal air pollutants is sulfur dioxide (SO2). The removal of SO2 from flue gas has been one of the key challenges in the control of SO2 emission. In this work, experimental scale photocatalytic oxidation of SO2 is a major process leading to H2SO4 as a new method was suggested on the Liquid phase using Manganese supported on Copper Slag (Mn/CS) under UltraViolet (UV) irradiation. Mn/CS recognized as a novel nanocatalyst for photocatalytic oxidation of SO2 from simulated flue gas.  In this study, a Column Packed Photo Catalytic Reactor (CPPCR) was applied. Firstly, the Mn/CS was perpetrated by the impregnation method. Analysis of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), FT-IR and X-Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were used for detection structure, morphology, and size of a particle of Mn/CS nanocatalyst and mechanism of manganese onto copper slag. FESEM results show a good agreement with those determined by the XPS. Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was used for optimization of variables, such as gas flow rate (L/min), Temperature (°C), Reaction time (min) and SO2 concentration (mg/L). Removal of SO2 under the optimal conditions, (8.1414, 25, 60 and 3.94) for Gas flow rate, Temperature, Reaction time and SO2 Concentration respectively were obtained. The most efficiency SO2 removal achieved at the optimal operating conditions is around 99%. It is concluded that the usage of this photocatalytic oxidation of SO2 process, can significantly reduce SO2 air pollution.