Conceptual design of a new SF6 abatement technology using a multi-bed series reactor for the production of valuable chemicals free of toxic wastes

Abstract

Conceptual design using multi-bed series reactors consisting of catalysts and adsorbent beds was performed for a new SF6 abatement and utilization technology free of toxic chemicals to reduce SF6 emissions and produce valuable products like CaF2 and CaSO4 simultaneously. With process simulation studies using Aspen HYSYS (R), comparative studies for a single-bed reactor (SR-1), a two-bed series reactor (SR-2), and a three-bed series reactor (SR-3) revealed that more CaF2 and CaSO4 were produced in multi-bed series reactors compared to a SR-1 (SR-3>SR-2>SR-1) possibly due to sorption-enhanced hydrolysis. In addition, lower operating temperatures were observed in multi-bed series reactors (T-SR1>T-SR2>T-SR3) showing the positive effect of using multi-bed series reactors for a simultaneous SF6 abatement and utilization technology.