Catalyst recovery studies were conducted for gasified chars produced from steam gasification of Illinois #6 coal catalyzed with two different catalyst systems. A ternary (43.5 mol% Li 2 CO 3 -31.5 mol% Na 2 CO 3 -25 mol% K 2 CO 3 ) and a binary (29 mol% Na 2 CO 3 -71 mol% K 2 CO 3 ) eutectic catalyst system were used for gasifying coal. Various extraction schemes, such as water extraction, H 2 SO 4 extraction, and acetic acid extraction, were evaluated with respect to their extraction efficiencies. Effects of major process variables, such as solvent-to-char ratio, mixing time, temperature, and concentration, on the extraction efficiency were evaluated. A process schematic for the entire catalyst recovery, regeneration, and recycle scheme was developed and the preliminary process economics were determined based on these extraction schemes. H 2 SO 4 extraction was found to be the most desirable. It also turned out to be more attractive than a once-through throwaway system.
The project, Catalytic Gasification of Coal Using Eutectic Salt Mixtures, is being conducted jointly by Clark Atlanta University (CAU), the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) and the Georgia Institute of Technology (GT). The aims of the project are to: identify appropriate eutectic salt mixture catalysts for the gasification of Illinois #6 coal; evaluate various impregnation or catalyst addition methods to improve catalyst dispersion; evaluate effects of major process variables (e.g., temperature, system pressure, etc.) on coal gasification; evaluate the recovery, regeneration and recycle of the spent catalysts in a bench-scale fixed bed reactor; and conduct thorough analysis and modeling of the gasification process to provide a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and kinetics of the process. During this period, the eutectic systems evaluated included:
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