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Title: Kinetics of coal pyrolysis and gasification. Final technical report for the period October 1979-September 1982

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6072565

This research was divided into three main tasks. The major objective of each task was as follows: (1) to study pyrolysis and gasification of as-received and pretreated coals following their rapid heating to and short contact times at maximum temperature in N/sub 2/, steam, and syngas atmospheres by following weight loss and change in physical properties of the chars; (2) to measure continuously the major gases produced during the isothermal pyrolysis and gasification of as-received and pretreated coals in high pressure steam following their rapid heating to maximum temperature; and (3) to measure the catalytic activity of inorganic constituents in chars derived from as-received and pretreated coals for the concurrent methanation and hydrogasification reactions. Pyrolysis and gasification under Task 1 were followed in vertical isothermal, laminar flow furnaces at temperatures up to 1173 K and at pressures between 0.1 and 3.4 MPa. An extensive mathematical model was developed and tested, describing the time/temperature history of coal particles as they passed through the furnaces. Pyrolysis and gasification under Task 2 was achieved by injecting coal particles into a micro isothermal horizontal flow reactor. With the particles remaining stationary in the reactor, reactions were followed by monitoring products CO, CO/sub 2/, and CH/sub 4/ using nondispersive infrared (ir) gas analyzers. In Task 3, reactivities of coal chars in 0.1 MPa of various flowing atmospheres were measured in a vertical thermogravimetric system. Product CH/sub 4/ was measured by a nondispersive ir gas anlyzer. Results, in particular, show that the presence of exchangeable cations in lignites greatly affects weight loss and composition of volatile products during pyrolysis and subsequent reactivity of the chars produced.

Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Coal Research Section
DOE Contract Number:
AC01-79ET14882
OSTI ID:
6072565
Report Number(s):
DOE/ET/14882-1412; ON: DE83012279
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English