Microwave effects on the structure of CeO2-doped zinc oxide sorbents for H2S removal

Cerium oxide-doped ZnO sorbents were prepared by microwave calcination and conventional heating, respectively. The results show that microwave heating results in much better performance of the sorbents due to microwave effects on the structure of sorbents. XRD, XPS, N2 adsorption and SEM were used to characterize the structure of sorbents calcinated in two ways. The data indicate that microwave irradiation leads to better pore structure and smaller crystallite size of ZnO, which favors the dispersion of active components and the increase of contact area between ZnO and H2S. Microwave heating also results in greater outer layer electron density of surface atoms (Zn and O) and higher content of surface elements including Zn and O, which is favorable for the adsorption of acidic H2S and the reaction of H2S with ZnO on the surface of sorbents.