Patent ID: 8506916

Claim:
A method of removing sulfur oxides and carbon dioxide from an effluent stream, the method comprising: contacting the effluent stream comprising sulfur oxides and carbon dioxide with a substantially dry solid material formed by admixing a slag component having one or more reactive silicate compounds with a binder component, wherein the slag component comprises silicon dioxide at greater than or equal to about 25% by weight, and wherein greater than or equal to about 70% of an initial amount of sulfur oxides present in the effluent stream prior to the contacting are removed and greater than or equal to about 20% of an initial amount of carbon dioxide present in the effluent stream prior to the contacting is removed after the contacting with the substantially dry solid material; monitoring the amount of sulfur oxides and carbon dioxide present in the effluent stream after the contacting; and comparing the amount of at least one of the sulfur oxides or carbon dioxide present in the effluent stream after the contacting to a predetermined set point amount for at least one of carbon dioxide or sulfur oxides, wherein when the amount of monitored sulfur oxides or carbon dioxide after the contacting exceeds the predetermined set point amount, replacing the substantially dry solid material with new substantially dry solid material.