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Title: A novel approach to highly dispersing catalytic materials in coal for gasification

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5828744

This project seeks to develop a technique, based on coal surface properties, for highly dispersing catalysts in coal for gasification and to investigate the potential of using potassium carbonate and calcium acetate mixtures as catalyst for coal gasification. The lower cost and high catalytic activity of the latter compound will produce economic benefits by reducing the amount of K{sub 2}CO{sub 3} required for high coal char reactivities. The effects of catalyst impregnation conditions (pH and coal surface charge) on the reactivities, in carbon dioxide, of chars derived from Illinois No. 6 coal and its demineralized derivative have been determined. The results show that chars derived from the latter sample are less reactive than those obtained from the raw coal. Impregnation of the acid-leached coal with calcium or potassium from strongly acidic solutions reduced or inhibited char reactivity compared to the unloaded coal, while catalyst loading at pH 6 or pH 10 significantly increased gasification activities. These observations are attributed to increased coal-catalyst precursor interaction, higher metals uptake, and possibly better catalyst dispersion induced by the high negative surface charge density on the coal at the higher pH values. 5 refs., 2 figs.

Research Organization:
Clark Atlanta Univ., GA (USA). Research Center for Science and Technology
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
FG22-89PC89760
OSTI ID:
5828744
Report Number(s):
DOE/PC/89760-T4; ON: DE91013890
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English