Apparatus and Method for Photocatalytic Conditioning of Flue Gas Fly-Ash Particles

A process is provided for conditioning fly-ash present in flue gas which also contains sulfur dioxide and steam by subjecting the fly-ash containing flue gas to ultraviolet radiation so as to convert steam present in the flue gas into hydroxyl radicals which oxidizes about 5 to 10 percent of the sulfur dioxide in the flue gas into sulfur trioxide. This photo-produced sulfur trioxide conditions the fly-ash and renders it more easily separated in the electrostatic precipitator