Influence of mineral matter in coal on decomposition of NO over coal chars and emission of NO during char combustion

NO-char reaction and char combustion in the presence and absence of mineral matter were studied in a quartz fixed bed reactor. Eight chars were prepared in a fluidized bed at 950 °C from four Chinese coals that were directly carbonized without pretreatment or were first deashed before carbonization. The decomposition of NO over these coal-derived chars was studied in Ar, CO/Ar and O₂/Ar atmospheres, respectively. The results show that NO is more easily reduced on chars from the raw coals than on their corresponding deashed coal chars. Mineral matter affects the enhancement both of CO and O₂ on the reduction of NO over coal chars. Alkali metal Na in mineral matter remarkably catalyzes NO-char reaction, while Fe promotes NO reduction with CO significantly. The effect of mineral matter on the emission of NO during char combustion was also investigated. The results show that the mineral constituents with catalytic activities for NO-char reaction result in the decrease of NO emission, whereas mineral constituents without catalytic activities lead to the increase of NO emission. Correlation between the effects of mineral matter on NO-char reaction and NO emission during char combustion was also discussed.     

Kinetic analysis of NO-Char reaction

Two Chinese coals were used to prepare chars in a flat flame flow reactor which can simulate the temperature and gas composition of a real pulverized coal combustion environment. Acid treatment on the YB and SH chars was applied to obtain demineralized chars. Kinetic characterization of NO-char reaction was performed by isothermal thermogravimetry in the temperature range of 973–1,573 K. Presence of catalytic metal matter can increase the reactivity of chars with NO, which indicates that the catalytic effects of inherent mineral matter play a significant role in the NO-char reaction. The discrete random pore model was applied to describe the NO-char reactions and obtain the intrinsic kinetics. The model can predict the data for all the chars at various temperatures well, but underestimate the reaction rates at high carbon conversions for the raw YB and SH chars, which can be attributed to the accumulation of metal catalyst on char surface. This work was presented at the 7 ^th China-Korea Workshop on Clean Energy Technology held at Taiyuan, Shanxi, China, June 26–28, 2008.     

Experimental study of NO reduction over biomass char

Some biomass fuels produce more NO_x than coal on the basis of heating value, giving rise to the necessity and importance of controlling NO_x emission in biomass combustion. The present study investigated the NO reduction over biomass char in a fixed bed quartz reactor in the temperature range of 973–1173 K. The reaction rates of three biomass chars (sawdust, rice husk and corn straw) with NO were compared with Datong bituminous coal char. The results show that the reaction orders of biomass chars for NO are of fractional order and independent of temperature. Biomass chars are more active in reducing NO than coal char. The characteristics of biomass char affect NO conversion. Biomass char formed at high pyrolysis temperature, especially large in particle size, is less active in reducing NO. To some extent, increase of reaction temperature and char loading enhance NO conversion. There exists an optimum bed height for the highest NO conversion. Moreover, NO reduction over biomass char is also enhanced in the presence of CO, O₂ and SO₂.     

Study of heat-treated Spanish lignites: Characteristics and behaviour in co2 and o2 gasification reactions

Six Spanish lignites (raw and demineralized) have been charred to 1113 K in a N₂ atmosphere. The surface area, porosity and mineral matter content of the char coals so obtained have been studied, as well as their reactivity in CO₂ flow in the range 1073–1113 K, and in dry air in the temperature range 733–773 K. The reactivities of the raw chars in CO₂ may be explained according to the different inorganic matter content that may act as catalyst. The demineralization process brings about a lowering in reactivity and an increase, in general, in the apparent activation energy that may be interpreted as being due to a fall in mineral matter content and/or an increase in the amount of feeder pores. With regard to reactivity and apparent activation energy, in the case of dry air three groups of raw chars have been established. The differences between these three groups may be due to the different inorganic impurities present in the raw chars that catalyse the reaction of carbon with O₂ more than the porous texture parameters. Demineralization brings about a lowering in the reactivity values and a levelling off of apparent activation energies. The catalytic effect of iron has also been studied by adding different amounts of this metal to a demineralized char. The burn-off versus time curves of the different char coals have been adjusted by using the τ_0.5 parameter.     

The N2O–carbon reaction: The influence of CO and potassium on reactivity and populations of oxygen surface complexes

N₂O reduction on two different chars promoted with potassium was investigated using temperature programmed reaction, as well as isothermal reaction followed by temperature programmed desorption. It was found that potassium promotion significantly increased the N₂O reduction activity of the phenolic resin char, but not for the Wyodak coal char. Additional CO in the reactor feed gas had no discernible effect on the N₂O reduction rate of the phenolic resin char, but it did significantly increase the reactivity of the promoted, demineralized Wyodak coal char. The latter is attributed to residual mineral matter impurities in the coal that are not removed by the demineralization process used.     

Gasification reactivity of Chilean coals

Gasification reactivities of raw and acid-washed coal chars obtained from the three most important coal-bearing regions in Chile have been determined in 0.1 MPa of oxygen using a thermobalance. Oxygen chemisorption capacities of the demineralized chars were also measured gravimetrically at 373 K in 0.1 MPa of oxygen. The subbituminous coals of Catamutun and Peckett are more reactive than the bituminous coals of Lota and Trongol due to the catalytic effect of their inorganic constituents. However, in the absence of catalytically significant mineral matter, coal rank is not an important parameter of char reactivity. The reactivity of chars based on carbon active surface areas, estimated from gravimetric chemisorption measurements, agreed very well with the previously reported value based on active surface areas obtained in a volumetric system. These results supply additional evidence that active surface area is the fundamental parameter that can explain most of the observed differences in the kinetic behaviour of coal chars and carbons in general.     

Influences of carbon structure on the reactivities of lignite char reacting with CO2 and NO

Raw and demineralized lignite samples were pyrolyzed from 773 to 1673 K to generate chars. The chars were characterized with Raman spectroscopy for the structure evolution. The reactivities of the chars reacting with CO₂ and NO were measured with thermogravimetric analysis. The derived reactivity indexes were correlated with the treatment temperature and the Raman structural parameters to demonstrate the applicability of Raman spectroscopy for evaluation of the reactivities of char CO₂ gasification and char-NO reaction. It was found that char microstructure evolution with the treatment temperature could be represented by Raman band area ratios. I_D1/I_G and I_G/I_ALL represented the evolution of the ordered carbon structure while the combination of I_D3/(I_G + I_D2 + I_D3) reflected the evolution of the amorphous carbon structure of the lignite chars with increasing the treatment temperature from 773 to 1673 K. Reactivity indexes of the demineralized chars reacting with both CO₂ and NO were found to increase with increasing the treatment temperature, implying that the structure ordering did result in the losses of the reactivities. Higher reactivities of the non-demineralized chars indicated the catalytic role of inorganic matter in the reactions with both gases. I_D1/I_G and I_G/I_ALL had good linear correlations with the reactivities particularly of the demineralized chars if considering the structure evolution behaviors at lower and higher temperatures, respectively. I_D3/(I_G + I_D2 + I_D3) was found to have fairly good linear correlations with the reactivity indexes of the lignite chars generated over the whole temperature range.     

Effect of Na,Ca and Fe on the evolution of nitrogen species during pyrolysis and combustion of model chars

The catalytic effects of Na, Ca and Fe on the formation of HCN and NH₃ during pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing model chars and on the emission of NO_x during the char combustion have been investigated in a fixed bed reactor. The results show that fuel-type nitrogen is mainly retained in char under the pyrolysis conditions (∼900 °C). The presence of Na favors the transformation of char-nitrogen to volatile-nitrogen at high temperature, but the influence of Ca and Fe is negligible. The NH₃:HCN ratio under catalytic pyrolysis conditions is higher than that under non-catalytic pyrolysis conditions. It was also found that the emission of NO_x was restrained under catalytic conditions at high combustion temperature, but was favored at low temperature. The conversion of char-N to NO_x depended on a number of factors including the properties of char, the types of catalysts and the combustion conditions. The influence of catalysts on the emission levels of NO_x reflects the relative importance of the catalytic effect on char-N oxidation and on NO-char reaction during the combustion of nitrogen-containing char.     

改性桑树枝焦对模拟烟气中汞的吸附性能

采用固定床热解、蒸汽活化和改性剂(H₂O₂、ZnCl₂和NaCl)浸渍等方法制得不同的桑树枝焦。在固定床吸附实验台上,研究了蒸汽活化、改性剂、吸附温度和烟气组分等对改性桑树枝焦汞吸附性能的影响。结果表明:蒸汽活化显著提高了桑树枝热解焦的比表面积,H₂O₂改性可进一步提高桑树枝蒸汽活化焦比表面积并改善其孔隙结构参数,ZnCl₂和NaCl改性则降低了桑树枝蒸汽活化焦的比表面积、D-R微孔容积和总孔容。10%H₂O₂和30%H₂O₂浸渍改性桑树枝焦的单位汞吸附量分别是蒸汽活化焦的2.02倍和1.77倍;相同改性剂浓度下,ZnCl₂改性焦的单位汞吸附量比NaCl改性焦稍好;随着ZnCl₂浓度增大,改性桑树枝焦的汞吸附性能增强,MT600-A-ZnCl₂(5%)桑树枝焦的单位汞吸附量达到29.55 μg·g^-1,是蒸汽活化焦的3.37倍。在吸附温度为60～120℃范围内,H₂O₂改性焦的汞吸附效率及单位汞吸附量随着吸附温度的升高而下降,而ZnCl₂改性焦的单位汞吸附量则随着吸附温度提高呈现先增大后减小的趋势,最佳吸附温度为90℃。烟气中SO₂和NO组分对汞吸附性能有一定的抑制作用,随着SO₂和NO浓度的增加,汞吸附效率和单位汞吸附量均稍有下降。     

SO2-Assisted Simultaneous Reduction of SO2 and NO by CO on SnO2-TiO2 Solid Solution

Sn_0.5Ti_0.5O₂ shows excellent catalytic performance both for the CO-SO₂ reaction and the CO-SO₂-NO reaction. At 350 ° C, 525 ppm SO₂/520 ppm NO/2085 ppm CO, SV = 3000 h^-1, the conversion of SO₂ is nearly complete in the CO-SO₂ reaction and above 89% in the CO-SO₂-NO reaction; NO conversion is above 98% in the latter reaction. The selectivities of S and N₂ are both close to 100%. SO₂ shows a significant promoting effect on the activity of the Sn_0.5Ti_0.5O₂ catalyst for NO reduction by CO. Combining transient response experiments, catalytic tests and TPD results, we propose a SO₂-assisted NO-CO reaction concept. The existence of a surface sulfur species, which was formed during the CO-SO₂ or CO-SO₂-NO reaction, is proved by XPS analysis. It is the active site for NO reduction in the CO-SO₂-NO reaction, and through which SO₂ accomplishes its promoter role. On the basis of the results obtained, the SO₂-assisted redox mechanism of simultaneous reduction of SO₂ and NO by CO is proposed.     

矿物质对煤焦燃烧过程中NO释放规律的影响

在石英固定床反应器上研究了煤焦燃烧过程中矿物质在不同燃烧条件下对NO释放规律的影响.结果表明：煤中的矿物质对燃料氮转化为NO有显著的影响,其影响与矿物质的组成和燃烧条件有关,碱金属Na、K催化半焦氮的氧化在较低的温度下进行并降低半焦氮对于NO的转化率,而Ca、Fe在低温燃烧条件下增加NO的排放,高温时使NO的排放降低;矿物质惰质组分的存在使NO的排放增加;随着煤阶的升高,半焦的反应性降低,燃料氮对于NO的转化率增大;燃料氮的转化率随燃烧温度的升高而增加,但达到极大值后又趋于降低;矿物质对于NO排放量的影响决定于矿物质对于半焦氮的氧化以及半焦还原NO反应催化作用的相对大小.     

Reactivity of Spanish coal chars in dry air: Effect of the addition of potassium carbonate and acetate

Several Spanish chars, ranging from lignite to anthracite, were studied in their gasification with dry air. Their behaviour was essentially related to the rank of the parent coal, and mineral matter content. Potassium was added to the demineralized char both as carbonate and acetate. Reactivity of the supported catalysts thus obtained was increased when K₂CO₃ was the precursor salt. However, this increase was lower, and in some cases there was no increase, when potassium acetate was used. The behaviour found for the two potassium salts, was due to a greater reduction in the surface area of the char when potassium acetate was the precursor salt, which brought about a lower accessibility of the reactant gas to the active surface centres. The effect of K was inhibited in a char because of the high silica content of its ashes.     

Chemical reduction of sulphur dioxide to free sulphur with lignite and coal. 2. Kinetics and proposed mechanism

The reactivity of lignite and different ranks of coal with sulphur dioxide has been investigated in a corrosive-gas, thermogravimetric reactor system. With all coals, the reaction occurred in two distinct stages. A rapid initial stage was controlled primarily by the devolatilization rate of the coal. The second stage limited the overall rate and was controlled by surface properties of the coal char. The portion of lignite associated with the second stage of reaction exhibited a much higher rate of SO₂ reduction than the corresponding material from all other coals. Correlation of the data showed an inverse relation between the reactivity of coal chars and the relative rank of the parent coal. Activation energies associated with the reduction of SO₂ by the coal chars increased slightly from 134 kJ mol^?1 for lignite char to 150 kJ mol^?1 for HVB bituminous coal char. The higher reactivity of lignite or lower-rank coals was due in part to entropy factors or available catalytic sites on the surface of coal. Formation of a thermally stable CS complex on the surface of coal appeared to poison the surface and thus limit further reaction. Alkali and alkaline earth metals in lignite served as active sites for catalysing the reaction of SO₂ with the CS complex and thus enhanced the rate of SO₂ reduction with lignite.     

Low cost catalytic sorbents for NOx reduction. 2. Tests with no reduction reactives

Coal, char and activated char doped with model vanadium compounds (V₂O₅ and NH₄VO₃) and petroleum coke ash, PCA, (main metal components: V, Fe and Ni) have been tested as catalytic sorbents for NO reduction without the addition of a reduction reactive. The sorbents prepared have shown to be active for NO reduction at temperatures higher than 350 °C. The most efficient sorbents are those obtained from unactivated chars and doping with model vanadium compounds or PCA does not upgrade significantly their behaviour. On the other hand, for the samples prepared from activated char, an improvement of the reduction efficiency is observed after impregnation with model vanadium compounds or PCA.SSA of the samples does not play a relevant role on the NO reduction efficiency while surface chemistry significantly affect the samples’ behaviour: higher the CO₂/CO ratio determined by TPD, higher the NO reduction efficiency of the sample.Slightly higher NO conversions are observed for the samples loaded with pure compounds but PCA is perspective for producing catalyst doped activated carbons.     

Low cost coal-based carbons for combined SO2 and NO removal from exhaust gas

The aim of this paper is to show how a cheap carbonaceous material such as low rank coal-based carbon (or char) can be used in the combined SO₂/NO removal from exhaust gas at the linear gas velocity used in commercial systems (0.12 m s⁻¹). Char is produced from carbonization and optionally activated with steam. This char is used in a first step to abate the SO₂ concentration at the following conditions: 100 °C, space velocity of 3600 h⁻¹, 6% O₂, 10% H₂O, 1000 ppmv SO₂, 1000 ppmv NO and N₂ as remainder. In a second step, when the SO₂ concentration in the flue gas is low, NO is reduced to N₂ and steam at the following experimental conditions: 150 °C, space velocity of 900 h⁻¹, 6% O₂, 10% H₂O, 0-500 ppmv SO₂, 1000 ppmv NO, 1000 ppmv NH₃ and N₂ as remainder.It has been shown that the presence of NO has no effect on SO₂ abatement during the first step of combined SO₂/NO removal system and that low SO₂ inlet concentration has a negligible effect on NO reduction in the second step. Moreover, this char can be thermally regenerated after use for various cycles without loss of activity. On the other hand, this regenerated char shows the highest NO removal activity (compared to parent chars, either carbonized or steam activated) which can be attributed to the activating effect of the sulfuric acid formed during the first step of the combined SO₂/NO removal system.     

Reactivity of heat-treated coals in hydrogen

Reactivities of eighteen 40 × 100 mesh U.S. coals charred to 1000 °C have been measured in H₂ at 2.7 MPa and 980 °C. The char-hydrogen reaction usually occurs in two stages: a slow induction period followed by a constant-rate region. Reactivities of various chars in the initial stage (R_i) decrease, in general, with increasing carbon content of the parent coals, whereas reactivities in the constant-rate region (R_c) are essentially independent of the rank of the parent coals. Reactivities of chars in H₂ differ markedly from those in air and CO₂. Results of surface-area measurements of chars and activation energies for the hydrogasification reaction suggest that during the induction period the reaction is diffusion-controlled whereas in the constant-rate region it is chemically controlled. Upon removal of mineral matter, R_i values generally decrease but R_c values show a random variation. Removal of mineral matter from coals prior to their carbonization brings about profound changes in surface area and porosity of chars. The effect of char particle size on reactivity is considered.     

Catalytic effect of Na–Fe on NO–char reaction and NO emission during coal char combustion

The catalytic reduction of NO over coal-derived chars and the catalytic effect of Na–Fe on NO emission during char combustion were investigated in a quartz fixed bed reactor. The catalytic characteristics of Na and Fe in the NO–char reaction were studied and compared in detail. The results show that the catalytic activity of Na depends greatly on its loading amount, while the activity of Fe is more sensitive to temperature. Na–Fe composite catalysts were also prepared with chars as support. Synergistic effect was found both in the reduction of NO and the char combustion. The Na–Fe composite catalysts exhibit significantly higher catalytic activity than the mono-metallic catalysts with the same metal loading amount. It is intriguing to note that the effectiveness of the catalysts on reducing NO emission during char combustion is in the same order as that in the NO–char reaction, i.e. the chars with catalysts not only have high activity in NO–char reaction but also emit less NO during their combustion.     

Desorption activation energy distribution function of nitric oxide chemisorbed on carbonaceous materials at 373 K

The distribution function for the activation energy of NO desorption from carbonaceous materials treated with mixtures of NO, NO/O₂ and NO/H₂O/O₂ at 373 K, was determined. The algorithm employed in the calculation was a variation of the stochastic method commonly used for the evaluation of the activation energies from TPD data. The calculated distribution function is a combination of two normal distribution functions, centered at energies around 150 and 190 kJ/mol which corresponds to the desorption of NO from organic structures as was previously determined by XPS analysis. The higher activation energy complex is promoted by the catalytic activity of the mineral matter in the char. Molecular oxygen enhances the NO reversible chemisorption while water partly inhibits this effect.     

Importance of carbon active sites in the gasification of coal chars

A demineralized lignite has been used in a fundamental study of the role of carbon active sites in coal char gasification. The chars were prepared in N₂ under a wide variety of conditions of heating rate (10 K min^?1 to 10⁴ K s^?1), temperature (975–1475 K) and residence time (0.3 s–1 h). Both pyrolysis residence time and temperature have a significant effect on the reactivity of chars in 0.1 MPa air, determined by isothermal thermogravimetric analysis. The chars were characterized in terms of their elemental composition, micropore volume, total and active surface area, and carbon crystallite size. Total surface area, calculated from C0₂ adsorption isotherms at 298 K, was found not to be a relevant reactivity normalization parameter. Oxygen chemisorption capacity at 375 K and 0.1 MPa air was found to be a valid index of char reactivity and, therefore, gives an indication, at least from a relative standpoint, of the concentration of carbon active sites in a char. The commonly observed deactivation of coal chars with increasing severity of pyrolysis conditions was correlated with their active surface areas. The importance of the concept of active sites in gasification reactions is illustrated for carbons of increasing purity and crystallinity including a Saran char, a graphitized carbon black and a spectroscopically pure natural graphite.