Sulfur Dioxide Separation and Recovery with Ionic Liquid Absorbents

Sulfur dioxide as a product of sulfuric acid decomposition at high temperature need to be separated from products and recycle to the next reactions such as Bunsen reaction in Sulfur-Iodine thermochemical water splitting cycle or electrolysis in Hybrid Sulfur water splitting cycle. As novel absorbents ionic liquids were applied for the separation and recovery of sulfur dioxide. Various parameters were examined to satisfy the features needed to realize continuos absorption and desorption process without the loss of absorbents.

Sulfur dioxide solubility by ionic liquids were measured with regard to temperature and pressure and thermal/chemical stability were investigated with various analytic methods including TGA, DTA, IR spectroscopy.

With basic data from batch experiment, the feasibility of SO2 separation process with ionic liquids was confirmed. Moreover, Bench-scale continuous absorption and desorption process was operated and the results were reported.