The effect of steam on pyrolysis and char reactions behavior during rice straw gasification

Steam gasification of biomass can generate hydrogen-rich, medium heating value gas. We investigated pyrolysis and char reaction behavior during biomass gasification in detail to clarify the effect of steam presence. Rice straw was gasified in a laboratory scale, batch-type gasification reactor. Time-series data for the yields and compositions of gas, tar and char were examined under inert and steam atmosphere at the temperature range of 873-1173 K. Obtained experimental results were categorized into those of pyrolysis stage and char reaction stage. At the pyrolysis stage, low H₂, CO and aromatic tar yields were observed under steam atmosphere while total tar yield increased by steam. This result can be interpreted as the dominant, but incomplete steam reforming reactions of primary tar under steam atmosphere. During the char reaction stage, only H₂ and CO₂ were detected, which were originated from carbonization of char and char gasification with steam (C + H₂O→CO + H₂). It implies the catalytic effect of char on the water-gas shift reaction. Acceleration of char carbonization by steam was implied by faster hydrogen loss from solid residue.     

Volatilisation and catalytic effects of alkali and alkaline earth metallic species during the pyrolysis and gasification of Victorian brown coal. Part V. Combined effects of Na concentration and char structure on char reactivity

A set of NaCl-loaded Loy Yang brown coal was pyrolysed in a thermogravimetric analyser between 600 and 900 °C. The char sample after pyrolysis was cooled down directly for in situ reactivity measurement with air. The results indicated that the volatilisation of Na during pyrolysis is an important reason for the existence of catalyst loading saturation level with Na as a catalyst in char because the char prepared at high temperature had a limited holding capacity for Na. Under the experimental conditions in this study, the char reactivity showed good linear correlation with the Na concentration in the reacting char. Peak pyrolysis temperature, affecting the release of Cl and distribution of Na in char, is an important factor governing the correlation between the char reactivity and Na concentration in char. The catalytic activity of Na is a result of the interaction between Na and char and thus is greatly dependent on the char/carbon structure. At high char conversion levels where the char structure is more inert and highly condensed, the catalytic activity of Na is reduced compared with its activity at low char conversion levels. The catalytic activity of Na depends on the structure of char.     

Release of alkali and alkaline earth metallic species during rapid pyrolysis of a Victorian brown coal at elevated pressures

Possible reaction mechanisms responsible for the release of Na and Mg during pyrolysis at elevated pressures are described in this paper. In order to evaluate these mechanisms a Victorian brown coal, Loy Yang coal, was pyrolysed in a wire-mesh reactor at pressures up to 6.1 MPa at a heating rate of 1000 °C s⁻¹. Release of Na and Mg were quantified as functions of temperature and pressure. The results demonstrated that increasing pressure suppresses or promotes release of Na and Mg depending on the combination of pressure and temperature. The results obtained have been explained qualitatively by the proposed reaction mechanisms. At temperatures of 600 °C and lower, the release of Na and Mg from the pyrolysing coal/char particles, as light carboxylates, other organic salts and/or metals, was controlled by their diffusion through the pore system of the particles and, therefore, was suppressed by increasing pressure. At higher temperatures, the release of Na and Mg seems to be affected by the changes in intra-particle mass transfer mechanism due to increasing pressure as well as by chemical reactions responsible for the formation of volatile Na and Mg species.     

Inhibition of steam gasification of char by volatiles in a fluidized bed under continuous feeding of a brown coal

Steam gasification of a Victorian brown coal was performed in an atmospheric bubbling fluidized-bed reactor with continuous feeding of the coal. The gasification converted no more than 28, 51 and 71% of the nascent char (on a carbon basis) at 1120, 1173 and 1223 K, respectively. The char recovered from the fluidized bed was, nonetheless, gasified toward complete conversion when exposed to steam in another reactor, in which volatiles from the pyrolysis were absent while interaction between the char and products from the gasification was minimized. Atmosphere created in the fluidized bed thus prevented the char gasification from taking place beyond upper-limit conversion. In the absence of volatiles, nascent char underwent gasification catalyzed by inherent metallic species and non-catalytic gasification in parallel. The non-catalytic gasification was greatly decelerated by the presence of H₂ in the gas phase due to its dissociative chemisorption onto free carbon sites forming H-laden carbon. H₂ was, however, not a so strong inhibitor as to terminate the gasification. It was rather suggested that much more H-laden carbon was formed through dissociative chemisorption of volatiles and/or chemisorption of hydrogen radical from thermal cracking of volatiles in the gas-phase, which resulted in prevention of the non-catalytic gasification. It seemed that the char was converted in the fluidized-bed mainly by the catalytic gasification, while the conversion was limited due to deactivation of metallic species within the char matrix and their release from the char.     

Volatilisation and catalytic effects of alkali and alkaline earth metallic species during the pyrolysis and gasification of Victorian brown coal. Part IV. Catalytic effects of NaCl and ion-exchangeable Na in coal on char reactivity

The purpose of this study is to investigate the catalytic effects of Na as NaCl or as sodium carboxylates (-COONa) in Victorian brown coal on the char reactivity. A Na-exchanged coal and a set of NaCl-loaded coal samples prepared from a Loy Yang brown coal were pyrolysed in a fluidised-bed/fixed-bed reactor and in a thermogravimetric analyser (TGA). The reactivities of the chars were measured in air at 400 °C using the TGA. The experimental data indicate that the Na in coal as NaCl and as sodium carboxylates (-COONa) had very different catalytic effects on the char reactivity. It is the chemical form and dispersion of Na in char, not in coal, that govern the catalytic effects of Na. For the Na-form (Na-exchanged) coal, the char reactivity increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature from 500 to 700 °C and then decreased with pyrolysis temperature from 700 to 900 °C. The increase in reactivity with pyrolysis temperature (500-700 °C) is mainly due to the changes in the relative distribution of Na in the char matrix and on the pore surface. For the NaCl-loaded coals, when Cl was released during pyrolysis or gasification, the Na originally present in coal as NaCl showed good catalytic effects for the char gasification. Otherwise, Cl would combine with Na in the char to form NaCl during gasification, preventing Na from becoming an active catalyst. Controlling the pyrolysis conditions to favour the release of Cl can be a promising way to transform NaCl in coal into an active catalyst for char gasification.     

Low-temperature gasification of a woody biomass under a nickel-loaded brown coal char

Catalytic gasification of a woody biomass, Japanese cypress, was investigated under a prepared nickel-loaded brown coal (LY-Ni) char in a two-stage fixed-bed reactor. The nickel-loaded brown coal was prepared by ion-exchange method with a nickel loading rate of 8.3 wt.%. Nickel species dispersed well in the brown coal, and the LY-Ni char via devolatilization at 600 °C showed a great porous property with a specific surface area of 382 m² g^− 1.The LY-Ni char was confirmed to be quite active for the Japanese cypress volatiles gasification at a relatively low-temperature range from 450 to 650 °C. For example, at 550 °C, 16.6 times hydrogen gas and 6.3 times total gases were yielded from the catalytic steam gasification of Japanese cypress volatiles under the LY-Ni char, compared with the case of non-catalyst. The biomass tar decomposition showed a dependence on catalyst temperatures. When the catalyst temperature was higher than 500 °C, Japanese cypress tar converted much efficiently, high gas yields and high carbon balances were obtained.     

Distribution of volatile sulphur containing products during fixed bed pyrolysis and gasification of coals

Three sub-bituminous and two bituminous coals from Western Canada were used to study the evolution of H₂S, COS and SO₂ during the pyrolysis and gasification processes in a fixed bed reactor. For all types of coals, most of H₂S and SO₂ were released during the devolatilization stage. COS was formed only during the gasification stage in the presence of CO₂. The mineral matter of coal may have played a role during the gasification stage. Some observations made during this latter stage in CO₂ and/or steam were interpreted in terms of the equilibrium effects.     

Changes in char reactivity due to char-oxygen and char-steam reactions using Victorian brown coal in a fixed-bed reactor

This study was to examine the influence of reactions of char–O2 and char–steam on the char reactivity evolution. A newly-designed fixed-bed reactor was used to conduct gasification experiments using Victorian brown coal at 800 °C. The chars prepared from the gasification experiments were then collected and subjected to reactivity characterisation (ex-situ reactivity) using TGA (thermogravimetric analyser) in air. The results indicate that the char reactivity from TGA was generally high when the char experienced intensive gasification reactions in 0.3%O2 in the fixed-bed reactor. The addition of steam into the gasification not only enhanced the char conversion sig-nificantly but also reduced the char reactivity dramatical y. The curve shapes of the char reactivity with involve-ment of steam were very different from that with O2 gasification, implying the importance of gasifying agents to char properties.     

Tar destruction and coke formation during rapid pyrolysis and gasification of biomass in a drop-tube furnace

This paper describes tar destruction and coke (or soot) formation of biomass in three different conversion processes: pyrolysis (in a pure nitrogen stream), steam gasification (in a mixture stream of steam and nitrogen), and partial oxidation (in a mixture stream of oxygen and nitrogen), over a wide temperature range from 600 to 1400 °C. A woody waste, hinoki cypress sawdust (HCS), was used as a feedstock, and an entrained drop-tube furnace (DTF) was applied to all experimental tests. It is found that raising the temperature remarkably decreases tar evolution. Steam and oxygen also have a positive effect on tar destruction. Benzene and toluene are the most difficult condensable tar species to destroy. The achievement of their complete destruction in the product gas requires extremely high temperatures above 1200 °C, regardless of the gasifying agents. The coke deposits from 900 °C and reaches a maximum formation at 1000 or 1100 °C. The results obtained in this study suggest that competition occurs between the secondary decomposition of hydrocarbon species and gasification reactions of the produced char and/or coke with gasifying agents in the temperature range of 900-1100 °C.     

Products from the rapid pyrolysis of a brown coal in inert and reducing atmospheres

Yallourn brown coal and its calcium form have been pyrolysed in three different gas mixtures: 23% methane in argon, 50% hydrogen in argon, and 9.4% toluene in argon, at heating rates of 10⁷Ks^?1 and residence times of ≈2 ms. The products have been compared with those obtained in pure argon. The highly reactive molecule, ketene, was detected in the pyrolysate gases from both the ‘raw’ and calcium-form coals when pyrolysed in the above mixtures. Ketene was not detected in the pyrolysate gases, however, when the coals were pyrolysed in argon alone. When pyrolysed in 23% methane/argon the maximum yield of carbon monoxide from the ‘raw’ coal was found to be much lower than when pyrolysed in pure argon. The fully exchanged calcium-form coal when pyrolysed in pure argon, gave a maximum yield of carbon dioxide of oxygen content equal to the total oxygen content of the carboxyl groups originally present in the coal; the C0₂ yield from the ‘raw’ coal was about half that from the calcium-form in pure argon.     

Mineral matter effects on the rapid pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis of a bituminous coal. 1. Effects on yields of char,tar and light gaseous volatiles

The effects of minerals on product compositions from rapid pyrolysis of a Pittsburgh Seam bituminous coal were investigated. Whole, demineralized, and mineral treated samples of pulverized coal were heated in 100 KPa helium or 6.9 MPa hydrogen at 1000 K s^?1 to temperatures of up to 1300 K. Yields of char, tar and individual gaseous products were determined as a function of time-temperature conditions. Clays, iron-sulphur minerals, and quartz had few effects on pyrolysis in helium. Calcium minerals decreased yields of hydrocarbon products and increased yields of CO in helium pyrolysis. Calcite and clays decreased yields of CH₄ from hydropyrolysis, whereas iron-sulphur minerals had little effect on pyrolysis at 6.9 MPa H₂. Whole coal results were similar to demineralized coal results under all conditions.     

Formation of tar and its characterization during air-steam gasification of sawdust in a fluidized bed reactor

The sawdust tar was generated from air-steam gasification in the fluidized bed reactor at atmospheric pressure. The gasification temperature and mass ratio of steam to sawdust were used as adjustable variables with which the amount of sawdust tar formation and the corresponding tar properties. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) coupled with diode array detector (DAD) was employed to analyze the tar. It was found that the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of tar was unchanged under investigated conditions. The majority of the tar components are aromatic compounds, paraffin with conjugated bonds and olefin. Tar molecular weight (MW) depends on the H free radical amount, which is related to the steam added during the gasification. The steam can prevent the polymerization reaction and more conjugated side-chain compounds would be formed. In the end, the sawdust tar formation process has been described from the tar structure obtained.     

Volatilisation and catalytic effects of alkali and alkaline earth metallic species during the pyrolysis and gasification of Victorian brown coal. Part VI. Further investigation into the effects of volatile-char interactions

The purpose of this study is to further investigate the effects of volatile-char interactions on the volatilisation and dispersion of alkali and alkaline metallic species and changes in char structure during pyrolysis. Ion-exchanged (H-form, Na-form and Ca-form) Loy Yang brown coal samples were pyrolysed in a novel two-stage fluidised-bed/fixed-bed reactor over a wide temperature range of 500-930 °C. Our results indicate that soot formation and destruction on char (pore) surface during volatile-char interactions could be catalysed by Na and, to a lesser extent, Ca on char. Volatile-char interactions caused additional volatilisation of Na at temperatures higher than 700 °C although there are no effects on the volatilisation of Ca. The formation and simultaneous (catalytic) destruction of soot on char surface are closely linked to the volatilisation of Na from the char. Volatile-char interactions have also caused changes in char structure and/or changes in Na/Ca dispersion, as is reflected by the reduction in char reactivity. These results indicate that the volatile-char interactions are not limited on the char surface. It appears that H radicals must have penetrated into the char structure during volatile-char interactions.     

Volatilisation and catalytic effects of alkali and alkaline earth metallic species during the pyrolysis and gasification of Victorian brown coal. Part III. The importance of the interactions between volatiles and char at high temperature

A novel two-stage fluidised-bed/fixed-bed reactor was designed to investigate the effects of volatile-char interactions on the volatilisation of alkali and alkaline earth metallic (AAEM) species during the pyrolysis of Victorian brown coal at 900 °C. With the two-stage reactor configuration, the AAEM-free volatiles generated from the pyrolysis of the H-form coal in the fluidised bed came into direct contact with the char from NaCl-loaded or Na-form coals in the fixed bed. The results indicated that the interactions between the volatiles, especially free radicals in the volatiles, and the char particles enhanced the volatilisation of Na from the char drastically. However, such radical-char interactions resulted in little volatilisation of Mg and Ca, indicating the importance of valence of the AAEM species. The degree of the volatile-char interactions was also related to the ageing of the char and the chemical form of AAEM species in the coal substrate. The volatiles interacted more strongly with the nascent char than the aged char, indicating that the AAEM species existed in the aged char in more stable forms than in the nascent char.     

Fate of aliphatic groups in low-rank coals during extraction and pyrolysis processes

Information on the nature of aliphatic groups in some bituminous coals and lignites was obtained by determining their fate during extraction and pyrolysis processes of differing severity. Aromatics (neutral oils) and asphaltenes from supercritical gas and hydrogen-donor solvent extracts and from pyrolysis and hydropyrolysis tars have been characterized by an n.m.r.-based structural analysis method which identifies hydroaromatic, methyl and long alkyl (?C₈) groups. The results indicate that methyl and other alkyls account for about half of the aliphatic carbon, long alkyl chains being the major aliphatic group in the lignites. There is evidence to suggest that some of the long alkyl chains are joined to aromatic structures. Hydroaromatic groups are small consisting of only 1–2 rings and account for less of the aliphatic carbon in bituminous coals than previously thought. Their concentrations and those of long alkyl chains in the aromatics and asphaltenes generally decrease with increasing process severity.     

Catalytic performance of supported Ni catalysts in partial oxidation and steam reforming of tar derived from the pyrolysis of wood biomass

Activity test of Ni/Al₂O₃, Ni/ZrO₂, Ni/TiO₂, Ni/CeO₂ and Ni/MgO catalysts in the partial oxidation (POT) and steam reforming of tar (SRT) derived from the pyrolysis of cedar wood was performed. In these activity tests, the order of the performance in both reactions was similar. Catalyst characterization was also carried out by means of H₂ adsorption, TPR and XRD. From the combination of catalyst characterization with the results of the activity tests, it is suggested that the conversion of tar in POT and SRT is mainly controlled by the number of surface Ni metal. In addition, Ni/CeO₂ showed smaller amount of coke than other catalysts in the POT and SRT. From the TGA profiles of active carbon mixed with catalysts, it is found that Ni/CeO₂ promoted the reaction of active carbon with O₂ and steam. The function of the fluidized bed reactor in the POT with respect to coke and tar amount was discussed.     

Influence of temperature and Ca(OH)2 on releasing tar and coal gas during lignite coal pyrolysis and char gasification

The yield of tar and syngas has been investigated by catalytic pyrolysis of Pingzhuang lignite (PZL) over Ca(OH)₂ catalyst in temperature range of 600℃-1000℃ in a tube furnace. The results show that the yield of volatile pyrolysis increases and char decreases with rising temperature for both raw and catalyzed Pingzhuang lignite. The hydrogen fraction (H₂) increased from 20% to 40% for the PZL sample; but, for the PZL-Ca(OH)₂ sample, H₂ fraction fluctuated randomly between 35% to 42%, with the maximum H₂ fraction found at 1000℃. The Gaschromatography mass-spectroscopic (GC-MS) analysis revealed that the maximum tar yield at 800℃ and 700℃ was obtained for PZL and PZL-Ca(OH)₂, respectively. The surface morphology of PZL and PZL-Ca(OH)₂ chars underwent different transformation in the presence of catalyst as illustrated by SEM/EDX, FTIR, and BET analysis. Furthermore, char sample was investigated for the carbon conversion and reactivity index using TGA analysis under N₂ and CO atmosphere.     

热解温度和反应气氛对输送床煤快速热解的影响

在连续进料量为1.2 kg·h^-1的输送床反应器中考察了热解温度和反应气氛对不连沟次烟煤快速热解的影响。N₂气氛下,随着煤热解温度升高,焦油产率先增加后减小,600℃时达到最大值10.3%;对应的半焦产率下降,气体产率以及气油比增加。高温促进了煤挥发分的释放以及挥发分在气相中的二次反应,部分产物从固相和液相产品转化为气相产品,氢气、甲烷和乙烯等气体组分的产率明显增加。700℃下,H₂气氛能够抑制挥发分二次反应的发生,起到稳定自由基和加氢的作用,显著提高焦油产率和油品品质,同时有利于甲烷的生成。CO气氛在一定程度上同时提高了轻质和重质焦油产率。CO₂和水蒸气能够促进焦油的二次反应,特别是重质焦油的裂解,具有一定的提质作用,但会导致焦油产率下降。CH₄气氛促进了重质焦油组分的生成,使得热解焦油产率提高。     

Nitrogen chemistry in coal pyrolysis: Catalytic roles of metal cations in secondary reactions of volatile nitrogen and char nitrogen

The present review focuses on elucidating the chemistry of nitrogen release during coal pyrolysis, in particular, on making clear catalytic roles of inherent Ca and Fe ions in not only the partitioning of volatile-N to tar-N, HCN, NH₃ and N₂ but also the conversion of char-N to N₂.     

矿物质对煤中硫氮在热解气化过程中迁移变化的催化作用

从煤自身所含的矿物质和外加添加剂的观点出发,对煤热解、气化和燃烧过程中存在的催化作用进行了阐述,尤其是煤中N、S有害元素的催化转化作用。煤自身所含的矿物质及部分碱金属、碱土金属和过渡金属添加剂对煤热解、气化和燃烧过程具有一定的催化能力,同时对煤中N、S有害元素的转化也有明显作用。对具有单功能催化作用的金属催化剂进行合理组合、适当改性和优化添加方式,在NOx和SOx污染性气体形成前对其前驱体进行抑制和定向转化,是今后煤炭洁净转化的一个研究方向。