Hydrogasification of bituminous and brown coals at 1273 K: Action of a nickel catalyst

Hydrogasification of a bituminous and a brown coal was carried out at 1273 K in the presence of nickel catalyst. The action of the catalyst during gasification was investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Contrary to what is found with steam gasification, most of the catalyst particles were spherical, due to the higher temperature. Some particles made pits and disappeared into the char matrix and others agglomerated with each other increasing the diameter of the particles significantly. Although the action of the catalyst on a brown coal was essentially similar to that on a bituminous coal, the catalyst was more homogeneously distributed over the char surface from the brown coal.