Transition metal and metal oxide catalysed gasification of carbon by oxygen,water, and carbon dioxide

The oxygen transfer mechanism is examined for transition metal and metal oxide catalysed carbon gasification by oxygen, water, and carbon dioxide. The mechanism appears valid for the C-O₂ reaction due to the availability of weakly bound oxygen in the bulk metal oxide or on the surface of a metal oxide or a metal in an oxygen atmosphere. In water and carbon dioxide atmospheres, only oxygen strongly bound to the metal or metal oxide is present, resulting in negligible activity for carbon gasification through this mechanism. When the catalyst is present as a reduced metal, a different mechanism for catalysed gasification involving direct breakage of carbon-carbon bonds by the metal is suggested.