Abstract:The removal of hydrogen sulfide (HS) from blast furnace gas is crucial for achieving ultra-low emissions in the iron and steel industry. After passing through the top gas recovery turbine (TRT)unit, the blast furnace gas temperature typically ranges from 50 to 80 ℃. Ferric hydroxide (α-FeOOH)exhibits high activity at low temperatures, making it an ideal adsorbent for HS after water treatment. α-FeOOH was doped with Zn at different molar ratios (1%, 5%, and 11%) via co-precipitationcrystallization. A combined fixed-bed and gas chromatography platform was used to evaluate the HSadsorption capacity in the simulated blast furnace gas atmosphere. The results showed that the HSadsorption capacity increased to 292.2 mg/g, a 137% improvement. The physical and chemical propertiesof the adsorbents were characterized using BET, EPR, and XPS. The results indicated a significantincrease in the specific surface area of the Zn/FeOOH samples, rising by approximately 60%. Thisenhancement leads to more reaction interfaces available for HS adsorption, providing additional activesites for HS molecules, which is crucial for improving sulfur capacity. Additionally, the pore volumeincreased by about 116%, mitigating the pore blockage typically caused by reaction products. AllZn/FeOOH samples displayed characteristic peaks associated with oxygen vacancies at g = 2.002, withthe Zn/FeOOH-11 sample showing the highest intensity of the oxygen vacancies. This suggests that Zndoping considerably boosts the oxygen vacancies within the material. The introduction of Zn ions intothe α-FeOOH lattice creates local stress and distortion due to the mismatch in ionic radius and chargebetween Zn and Fe. This mismatch facilitates the escape of oxygen atoms, resulting in the formationof oxygen vacancies; these vacancies serve as active sites for the adsorption and activation of HSmolecules, thereby enhancing the catalytic activity of the material. Furthermore, the proportion ofmonohydroxyl groups in Zn-doped α-FeOOH increased to 36%. These monohydroxyl groups arepivotal for improving sulfur capacity, as they are highly active and can form hydrogen bonds with HSmolecules, further enhancing their adsorption on the material surface. In situ infrared spectroscopyanalysis revealed that Zn functions as a catalyst component and also directly interacts with HS to formZnS. This Zn doping enhances the catalytic performance of α-FeOOH and influences the types of sulfurproducts generated. The alterations in structure and surface properties significantly enhance theadsorption and conversion capacity of Zn/FeOOH materials for HS, providing a reference forincreasing the sulfur capacity of the adsorbent and enhancing blast furnace gas purificationtechnologies. Close-