Removal of SO2 with oxygen in the presence of Fe(III)

A laboratory study of the aqueous oxidation of SO₂ in the presence of Fe(III) and Fe(II) has been conducted. The SO₂ concentration was 3930 ppm (3.93 × 10⁻³ atm or 398 Pa) in a gas stream with nitrogen and oxygen. The oxygen pressure was varied from 0 to 0.203 atmosphere. The initial concentration of Fe(III) ranged from 10⁻³ to 5-10⁻³ molar while that of Fe(II) was 5 × 10⁻³ molar. The temperatures were 298, 309.2, and 317.5 K. The solution pH was 1.83. The oxidation of SO₂ is intensive and yields from 90 to 97 pct recovery of incoming SO₂ when 5 × 10⁻³ molar Fe(III) and an oxygen pressure above 0.057 atmosphere are applied at 298 K. The reaction mechanism has been explained by determining the rate constants of the oxidation reactions from a kinetic model. The rate constants show that SO₂ is mostly oxidized by oxygen through formation of ferric-sulfite complex and that regeneration of ferric ion is possible under a normal oxygen pressure. The activation energy of the oxidation has been determined and has been found to be 13.5 Kcal/mole.