In this work, the SO2 retention capacity of two different limestones was tested by thermogravimetric analysis at typical oxy-fuel conditions in FB combustors. The effect of the main operating variables affecting calcination and sulphation reactions, like CO2 and SO2 concentrations, temperature, and sorbent particle size, was analysed.
It was observed a clear difference in the sulphation conversion reached by the sorbent whether the sulphation takes place under indirect or direct sulphation, being much higher under indirect sulphation. But, in spite of this difference, for a given condition and temperature, the CO2 concentration did not affect to the sulphation conversion, being its major effect to delay the CaCO3 decomposition to a higher temperature.
For the typical operating conditions and sorbent particle sizes used in oxy-fuel FB combustors, the maximum sorbent sulphation conversions were reached at temperatures of about 900 °C. At these conditions, limestone sulphation took place in two steps. The first one was controlled by diffusion through porous system of the particles until pore plugging, and the second controlled by the diffusion through product layer. As a consequence, the maximum sulphation conversion increased with decreasing the particle size and increasing the SO2 concentration.