Protected adsorbents for mercury removal and method of making and using same

Abstract

A method of removing mercury and/or sulfur from a fluid stream comprising contacting the fluid stream with a sorbent comprising a core and a porous shell formed to include a plurality of pores extending therethrough and communicating with the core. The core comprises a copper compound selected from the group consisting of a basic copper oxysalt, a copper oxide, and a copper sulfide.

1 . An adsorbent particle, comprising:
 a core comprising a copper compound; and   a porous shell disposed over said core, wherein said porous shell is formed to include a plurality of pores extending therethrough and communicating with said core, and wherein said porous shell comprises no copper oxide.   
     
     
         2 . The adsorbent particle of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said copper compound is selected from the group consisting of a basic copper oxysalt, a copper oxide, and a copper sulfide; and   said copper compound is disposed on a metal oxide substrate.   
     
     
         3 . The adsorbent particle of  claim 2 , wherein said porous shell is about 1 mass percent to about 5 mass percent of said absorbent particle. 
     
     
         4 . The adsorbent particle of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said core is about 3 mass percent to about 30 mass percent of said adsorbent particle; and   said adsorbent particle comprises a bulk density of less than 800 kg/m 3  (50 lbs/ft 3 ).   
     
     
         5 . The adsorbent particle of  claim 2 , wherein said copper compound comprises between about 25 mass percent and about 65 mass percent of said core, calculated as CuO on a volatile-free basis. 
     
     
         6 . The adsorbent particle of  claim 5 , wherein said copper compound comprises between about 32 mass percent and about 45 mass percent of said core, calculated as CuO on a volatile-free basis. 
     
     
         7 . The adsorbent particle of  claim 2 , wherein:
 said metal oxide substrate comprises at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, silica-aluminas, silicates, aluminates, silico-aluminates, zeolites, titania, zirconia, hematite, ceria, magnesium oxide, and tungsten oxide; and   said porous shell comprises at least one metal oxide selected from the group consisting of alumina, silica, silica-aluminas, silicates, aluminates, silico-aluminates, zeolites, titania, zirconia, hematite, ceria, magnesium oxide, and tungsten oxide.