Hydrogen production by methane cracking over different coal chars

Hydrogen production by methane cracking over a bed of different coal chars has been studied using a fixed bed reactor system operating at atmospheric pressure and 1123 K. The chars were prepared by pyrolysing four parent coals of different ranks, namely, Jincheng anthracite, Binxian bituminous coal, Xiaolongtan lignite and Shengli lignite, in nitrogen in the same fixed bed reactor operating at different pyrolysis temperatures and times. Hydrogen was the only gas-phase product detected with a GC during methane cracking. Both methane conversion and hydrogen yield decreased with increasing time on stream and pyrolysis temperature. The lower the coal rank, the greater the catalytic effect of the char. While the Shengli lignite char achieved the highest methane conversion and hydrogen yield in methane cracking amongst all chars prepared at pyrolysis temperature of 1173 K for 30 min, a higher catalytic activity was observed for the Xiaolongtan lignite char prepared at 973 K, indicating the importance of the nature of char surfaces. The catalytic activity of the coal chars were reduced by the carbon deposition. The coal chars had legible faces and sharp apertures before being subjected to methane cracking. The surfaces and pores of coal chars were covered with carbon deposits produced by methane cracking as evident in the SEM images. The results of BET surfaces areas of the coal chars revealed that the presence of micropores in the chars was not an exclusive reason for the catalytic effect of the chars in methane cracking.     

Catalytic pyrolysis of tyres: influence of catalyst temperature

Two stage pyrolysis–catalysis of used tyres was undertaken to upgrade the derived oil to a highly aromatic oil suitable to be used as a chemical feedstock rather than a liquid fuel. The tyres were pyrolysed in a fixed bed reactor and the evolved pyrolysis gases were passed through a secondary fixed bed reactor containing zeolite catalyst. The pyrolysis reactor was maintained at 500 °C and the influence of catalyst temperature between 430 and 600 °C on the yield and composition of the derived oils was examined. Two zeolite catalysts were examined; a Y-type zeolite catalyst and zeolite ZSM-5 catalyst of differing pore size and surface activity. The influence of the catalyst was to reduce the yield of oil with a consequent increase in the gas yield and formation of coke on the catalyst. Single ring aromatic hydrocarbons, benzene, toluene and xylenes present in the oils showed a marked increase in the presence of the catalyst. Naphthalene and alkylated naphthalenes were also analysed and showed a similar marked increase in the concentration when a catalyst was present. The Y-type zeolite catalyst of larger pore size and higher surface activity was found to produce higher concentrations of aromatic compounds compared to the ZSM-5 catalyst. Increasing the catalyst temperature resulted in significant changes in the concentration of benzene, toluene, xylenes, naphthalene and the alkylated naphthalenes.     

Potassium catalysis in the pyrolysis behaviour of short rotation willow coppice

Short rotation willow coppice (SRC) and a synthetic biomass, a mixture of the basic biomass components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin), have been investigated for the influence of potassium on their pyrolysis behaviours. The willow sample was pre-treated to remove salts and metals by hydrochloric acid, and this demineralised sample was impregnated with potassium. The same type of pre-treatment was applied to components of the synthetic biomass. Characterisation was performed using thermogravimetric analysis with measurement of products by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (PY-GC-MS). A comparison of product distributions and kinetics are reported. While the general features of decomposition of SRC are described well by an additive behaviour of the individual components, there are some differences in the magnitude of the influence of potassium, and on the products produced. For both SRC and the synthetic biomass, TGA traces indicate catalytic promotion of both of the two-stages of biomass decomposition, and potassium can lower the average apparent first-order activation energy for pyrolysis by up to 50 kJ/mol. For both SRC and synthetic biomass the yields and distribution of pyrolysis products have been influenced by the presence of the catalyst. Potassium catalysed pyrolysis increases the char yields markedly and this is more pronounced for synthetic biomass than SRC. Gas evolution profiles during pyrolysis show the same general features for both SRC and synthetic biomass. Relative methane yields increase during the char formation stage of pyrolysis of the potassium doped samples. The evolution profiles of acetic acid and formaldehyde change, and these products are seen in lower relative amounts for both the demineralised samples. A greater variation in pyrolysis products is observed from the treated SRC samples compared to the different synthetic biomass samples. Furthermore, substituted phenols from lignin pyrolysis are more dominant in the pyrolysis profiles of the synthetic biomass than of the SRC, implying that the extracted lignins used in the synthetic biomass yield a greater fraction of monomeric type species than the lignocellulosic cell wall material of SRC. For both types of samples, PY-GS-MS analyses show that potassium has a significant influence on cellulose decomposition markers, not just on the formation of levoglucosan, but also other species from the non-catalysed mechanism, such as 3,4-dihydroxy-3-cyclobutene-1,2-dione.     

Production and fuel properties of fast pyrolysis oil/bio-diesel blends

This paper describes the production and fuel properties of fast pyrolysis oil/bio-diesel blends. The bio-oils used in this study were produced from the fast pyrolysis of woody biomasses, oil mallee and pine. The bio-diesel employed was derived from canola vegetable oil. The conditions used to prepare the bio-oil/bio-diesel blends, as well as some of the fuel properties of the resulting bio-diesel rich phase, are reported. The experimental results show that the solubility of fast pyrolysis oils in bio-diesel is not as high as was previously reported for decanted oils obtained by Auger pyrolysis. The carboxylic acids, mono-phenols, furans and lignin derived oligomers were the compounds most soluble in bio-diesel, while the sugars, on the other hand, showed poor solubility. Although the presence of phenols enhances the oxidation stability of the bio-diesel rich phases, other fuel properties deteriorate. For example, the content of solid residues increased primarily because of the solubilisation of lignin derived oligomers, which were quantified by UV-fluorescence. Concentrations as high as 3.5 mass % of these compounds were observed in the bio-diesel rich phase. The solubility of bio-oil in bio-diesel was enhanced by using ethyl acetate/bio-diesel blends. Some fuel properties of the bio-diesel rich phase, after the removal of ethyl acetate, are reported.     

硫酸氢钠催化合成乙酸仲丁酯

研究了乙酸和仲丁醇在硫酸氢钠催化下的反应。考查了催化剂用量、反应时间、醇酸物质的量比及带水剂用量对乙酸酯化率的影响。结果表明 :当乙酸为 0 .2mol,仲丁醇为 0 .4mol,催化剂硫酸氢钠为 0 .6 g ,反应时间为 1.5h ,环己烷带水剂为 30ml时 ,乙酸酯化率在 99.3%以上。该催化剂具有催化效果好 ,使用量少 ,酯化率高 ,环境污染小 ,价格低廉易得等特点。     

基于CO2原位捕集的生物质热解制氢

以谷壳作为生物质研究对象,在石英管反应器中研究了基于CO₂原位捕集的谷壳热解制H₂,考察了不同温度、不同的CO₂捕集剂（CaO）配比对其热解的产气量、气体中H₂的体积分数的影响。实验结果表明,谷壳热解的产气量随温度的升高而增大,当反应温度在800℃时有最大产气量340mL/g;捕集剂CaO的添加通过原位吸收CO₂促进相关反应向生成氢气的方向移动。在600℃,不同比例CaO下CO₂体积分数都保持在22%左右,谷壳热解产生的气体中H₂的体积分数为14%~26%;在700℃,当CaO与生物质质量比为1：4时,添加CaO捕集剂能够较好地捕集CO₂,有效提高H₂的体积分数,此时获得较高的H₂产率41%,较低的CO₂体积分数16%,CaO的捕集率为64%;GC-MS表征分析发现,CaO在800℃的温度下对热解过程中产生的焦油有部分催化裂解效果。     

Thermogravimetric study of interactions in the pyrolysis of blends of coal with radiata pine sawdust

The co-pyrolysis of coal-biomass blends were studied by using thermogravimetric analysis to look for thermal events indicating interactions that could cause synergic or inhibitory effects during the first stage in the co-combustion of these materials. Two coals from different rank were selected for the study and combined with radiata pine sawdust, the selected biomass compound. Pyrolysis assays were carried out on the individual components and the binary coal-sawdust blends (50% p/p) at different heating rates (10, 30, 50 °C/min) until reaching a maximum temperature of 1200 °C. The individual components behaved as expected and as is widely described in the specialized literature. Interactions detected in the blends resulted in greater-than-expected volatile yield values. These interactions were produced at pyrolysis temperatures over 400 °C, when most of the components in the blend are devolatilized, and are attributed to secondary reactions that inhibit the formation of char.     

生物质热转换制氢的研究进展

氢气是一种理想的洁净能源。从能源角度和环境角度考虑,发展生物质制氢技术都具有重要的意义。生物质制氢技术主要包括热化学法和生物法,其中热化学法主要是将生物质气化或液化,再进行重整和水蒸气变换反应,获得氢气。本文综述了生物质热化学转化(包括气化、超临界水气化、热裂解等)制氢技术的研究进展,并对典型的制氢技术作了评述和展望。     

Particle production by polymer pyrolysis: Mass-spectrometric investigation

Mass-spectrometric techniques were applied to elucidate the mechanism by which polymers release condensation nuclei during pyrolysis.     

Catalytic pyrolysis of biomass for biofuels production

Fast pyrolysis bio-oils currently produced in demonstration and semi-commercial plants have potential as a fuel for stationary power production using boilers or turbines but they require significant modification to become an acceptable transportation fuel. Catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapors using zeolites is a potentially promising method for removing oxygen from organic compounds and converting them to hydrocarbons. This work evaluated a set of commercial and laboratory-synthesized catalysts for their hydrocarbon production performance via the pyrolysis/catalytic cracking route. Three types of biomass feedstocks; cellulose, lignin, and wood were pyrolyzed (batch experiments) in quartz boats in physical contact with the catalysts at temperature ranging from 400 °C to 600 °C and catalyst-to-biomass ratios of 5-10 by weight. Molecular-beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) was used to analyze the product vapor and gas composition. The highest yield of hydrocarbons (approximately 16 wt.%, including 3.5 wt.% of toluene) was achieved using nickel, cobalt, iron, and gallium-substituted ZSM-5. Tests performed using a semi-continuous flow reactor allowed us to observe the change in the composition of the volatiles produced by the pyrolysis/catalytic vapor cracking reactions as a function of the catalyst time-on-stream. The deoxygenation activity decreased with time because of coke deposits formed on the catalyst.     

Biodiesel production from waste animal fats using pyrolysis method

It is necessary to utilize waste cooking oil as a raw material of biodiesel because the land area available for cultivation in Japan is limited. Waste cooking oil also includes long-chain saturated compounds and free fatty acids derived from animal fats. The former has a high freezing point and the latter forms a soap with the alkali catalyst typically used in biodiesel production, reducing the yield. To make waste cooking oil available for biodiesel production, pyrolysis of the waste oil was attempted. The resulting triacylglycerols were found to decompose at 360 to 390 °C, fatty acids were generated by cleavage of the ester bond, and short-chain hydrocarbons and short-chain fatty acids were generated by cleavage of the unsaturated bonds in the hydrocarbon chain. When the retention time was extended with a reaction temperature of 420 °C, light-oil hydrocarbons were generated by decarboxylation of the fatty acids. By adding palladium supported by activated carbon (Pd/C) as a catalyst, decarboxylation was promoted, and hydrocarbons comparable to light oil were selectively obtained in high yield at 85 wt.%. Compared to the biodiesel obtained by transesterification, the biodiesel obtained by pyrolysis showed improvement of about − 5 °C in the pseudo-cold filter plugging point.     

Hydrogen production by catalytic gasification of cellulose in supercritical water

Cellulose, one of the important components of biomass, was gasified in supercritical water to produce hydrogen-rich gas in an autoclave which was operated batch-wise under high-pressure. K₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂ were selected as the catalysts (or promoters). The temperature was kept between 450°C and 500°C while pressure was maintained at 24–26 MPa. The reaction time was 20 min. Experimental results showed that the two catalysts had good catalytic effect and optimum amounts were observed for each catalyst. When 0.2 g K₂CO₃ was added, the hydrogen yield could reach 9.456 mol·kg⁻¹ which was two times of the H₂ amount produced without catalyst. When 1.6 g Ca(OH)₂ was added, the H₂ yield was 8.265 mol·kg⁻¹ which is lower than that obtained using K₂CO₃ as catalyst but is still 1.7 times that achieved without catalyst. Comparing with the results obtained using K₂CO₃ or Ca(OH)₂ alone, the use of a combination of K₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂ could increase the H₂ yield by up to 2.5 times that without catalyst and 25% and 45% more than that obtained using K₂CO₃ and Ca(OH)₂ alone, respectively. It was found that methane was the dominant product at relatively low temperature. When the temperature was increased, the methane reacts with water and is converted to hydrogen and carbon dioxide. __________ Translated from Journal of Chemical Engineering of Chinese Universities, 2007, 21(3): 436–441 [译自: 高校化学工程学报]     

Particle production by polymer pyrolysis: Effect of carbon monoxide

The effects of carbon monoxide and water vapor on the production of condensation nuclei during the pyrolysis of various polymers were investigated. Carbon monoxide reduced nuclei production while H₂O increased it. The effect of the two combined was variable and unpredictable. The necessity for and the possible direction of additional investigation is pointed out.     

煤热解转化排放物对环境和健康的影响

讨论了煤热解转化过程中主要排放物对环境和健康的影响,诸如CS2、COS、H2S、NH3、HCN和BTX等排放物,其毒性对植物产生潜在的影响。文中列出中国发表的环境优先污染物“黑名单”。癌症是从事煤热解转化工厂工人的主要隐患。多环芳香碳氢化合物和一些有机化合物,如芳胺类、亚硝胺类和苯系化合物教师主要的潜在致癌化合物,文中讨论了其生成、分子结构及其致癌活性,并举职业危害为例证。     

聚合物共混材料中氢键的研究进展

综述了近年来国内外聚合物共混材料中氢键的研究现状,着重对影响聚合物共混材料氢键强弱的因素、氢键的研究方法、氢键对聚合物共混材料性能的影响以及基于氢键作用制备相容性聚合物共混材料的方法进行总结。指出进一步研究多组分聚合物材料的氢键相互作用,可为制备可控性聚合物共混相容材料、实现功能化材料的构筑提供理论指导。     

Desorption of water vapor in hydrogen-bonded polymer blends

Successive desorption experiments of water vapor in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were performed at temperatures from 31.0 to 45.0°C. The solubility of water in PMMA was found to be independent of temperature in agreement with literature findings. But the results for diffusion showed stronger dependence on water concentration than those in literature. The diffusion coefficients of water in PMMA became almost independent of temperature at high water concentrations. However, at lower water concentrations, the temperature effect on diffusion was more pronounced. The observed weak temperature dependence of diffusivity at high concentrations is likely due to a high degree of clustering of water molecules found in the PMMA we prepared. Two modified polystyrenes containing 5 and 15 mol %, respectively, 4-hydroxystyrene as comonomer units were blended with PMMA to form hydrogen-bonded polymer blends. Successive desorption experiments of water vapor in the hydrogen-bonded polymer blends were carried out at 31.0°C. The solubility of water in both blends was found to increase with increasing composition of PMMA. The diffusion coefficients for PMMA and its blends increased with increasing concentration of water first, reached a maximum, then decreased with water concentration. When the desorption results were plotted with the previous study of absorption, hysteresis phenomenon of sorption existed in all blend compositions for our experimental time span. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 70: 39–45, 1998     

Phase behavior of ternary polymer blends with hydrogen bonding

Atactic poly (methyl methacrylate) (aPMMA) was found to be almost completely immiscible with poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc). Both aPMMA and PVAc are known to be miscible with poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) according to literature. Adding of PVPh into immiscible aPMMA/PVAc mixtures is likely to improve their miscibility. Therefore, PVPh can be used as cosolvent to cosolubilize aPMMA and PVAc. A ternary blend consisting of aPMMA, PVAc, and PVPh was prepared and determined calorimetrically in this article. According to the calorimetry data, the ternary blend was determined to be miscible. The reason for the observed miscibility is because the interactions between PVAc and PVPh are similar to those between aPMMA and PVPh. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2797–2802, 2004     

Achieving miscible ternary polymer blends with hydrogen bonding

Poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) has previously been found to be successful in making immiscible poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) miscible. Poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA) with one more methyl group than PMMA is also immiscible with PVAc. PEMA and PVAc are miscible with PVPh according to the literature. To determine whether PVPh can also cosolubilize PEMA/PVAc, PVPh samples of two different molecular weights have been mixed in this study with PEMA and PVAc to produce a ternary blend. On the basis of the calorimetry data, the ternary PEMA/PVAc/PVPh blend, regardless of the molecular weight of PVPh, has been determined to be miscible. The reason for the observed miscibility is probably that the interactions between PVAc and PVPh are similar in magnitude to those between PEMA and PVPh. A modified Kwei equation based on the binary interaction parameters proposed previously is used to describe the experimental glass‐transition temperature of the miscible ternary blend almost quantitatively well. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 643–652, 2006     

Fast pyrolysis of agricultural wastes: Characterization of pyrolysis products

This study deals with pyrolysis of three agricultural wastes (corncob, straw and oreganum stalks) at 500 °C in a fluidized bed reactor. The yields of char, liquid and gas were quantified. Pyrolysis liquids produced were in two separate phases; aqueous phase and oil. Oil yields varied between 35 and 41%, depending on biomass type, whereas the yields of aqueous phases were almost similar, around 6%, for all feedstock. For characterization, oils were fractionated by water extraction into two fractions; water solubles and water unsolubles. Both aqueous phase and water-soluble fraction were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography. In addition, water content and elemental analysis of the oils were determined. Chemical compositions of gas and char products relevant to fuel applications were determined.     

Synthesis and pyrolysis behavior of a soluble polymer precursor for ultra-fine zirconium carbide powders

A soluble polymer precursor for ultra-fine zirconium carbide (ZrC) was successfully synthesized using phenol and zirconium tetrachloride as carbon and zirconium sources, respectively. The pyrolysis behavior and structural evolution of the precursor were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis (DSC–TG). The microstructure and composition of the pyrolysis products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and element analysis. The results indicate that the obtained precursor for the ultra-fine ZrC could be a Zr–O–C chain polymer with phenol and acetylacetone as ligands. The pyrolysis products of the precursor mainly consist of intimately mixed amorphous carbon and tetragonal ZrO₂ (t-ZrO₂) in the temperature range of 300–1200 °C. When the pyrolysis temperature rises up to 1300 °C, the precursor starts to transform gradually into ZrC, accompanied by the formation of monoclinic ZrO₂ (m-ZrO₂). The carbothermal reduction reaction between ZrO₂ and carbon has been substantially completed at a relatively low temperature (1500 °C). The obtained ultra-fine ZrC powders exhibit as well-distributed near-spherical grains with sizes ranging from 50 to 100 nm. The amount of oxygen in the ZrC powders could be further reduced by increasing the pyrolysis temperature from 1500 to 1600 °C but unfortunately the obvious agglomeration of the ZrC grains will be induced.