Catalyzed gasification of biomass

Conference · Fri Jun 16 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6497904

Sealock, Jr., L. J.; Robertus, R. J.; Mudge, L. K.; Mitchell, D. H.; Cox, J. L.

Catalyzed biomass gasification studies are being conducted by Battelle's Pacific Northwest Laboratories. Investigations are being carried out concurrently at the bench and process development unit scales. These studies are designed to test the technical and economic feasibility of producing specific gaseous products from biomass by enhancing its reactivity and product specificity through the use of specific catalysts. The program is directed at controlling the gasification reaction through the use of specific catalytic agents to produce desired products including synthetic natural gas, ammonia synthesis gas (H/sub 2//N/sub 2/), hydrogen, or syn gas (H/sub 2//CO). Such gaseous products are currently produced in tonnage quantities from non-renewable carbonaceous resources, e.g., natural gas and petroleum. The production of high yields of these specified gases from biomass is accomplished through optimization of gasification conditions and proper choice of catalytic agents. For instance, high yields of synthetic natural gas can be attained through gasification with steam in the presence of gasification catalyst such as trona (Na/sub 2/CO/sub 3/ . NaHCO/sub 3/ . 2H/sub 2/O) and a nickel methanation catalyst. The gasification catalyst enhances the steam-biomass reaction while the methanation catalyst converts gaseous intermediates from this reaction to methane, the most thermodynamically stable hydrocarbon product. This direct conversion to synthetic natural gas represents a significant advancement in the classical approach of producing synthetic natural gas from carbonaceous substrates through several unit operations. A status report, which includes experimental data and results of the program is presented.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-06-1830
• OSTI ID: 6497904
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA-6689; CONF-780757-2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AMMONIA
BIOMASS
BORATES
BORAX
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBONATES
CATALYSIS
CATALYSTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FLUIDS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
GASIFICATION
HIGH BTU GAS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
METHANATION
MINERALS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN HYDRIDES
NONMETALS
OPTIMIZATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM CARBONATES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
REACTION KINETICS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SODIUM CARBONATES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM MINERALS
SYNTHESIS GAS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRONA
WOOD
YIELDS