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SUMMARYThe P a c i f i c Northwest Laboratory, operated f o r the U.S. Department of Energy by B a t t e l l e Memorial I n s t i t u t e has t e s t e d t h e g a s i f i c a t i o n of bagasse i n t h e presence of c a t a l y s t s i n a study co-sponsored by t h e Sugar Research I n s t i t u t e and the U.S. Department of Energy. The purpose of t h e study was t o evaluate the technical and economic f e a s i b i l i t y of c a t a l y t i c g a s i f i c a t i o n of bagasse t o produce methanol.In previous s t u d i e s f o r the U.S. Department of Energy, P a c i f i c Northwest Laboratory (PNL) developed a c a t a l y t i c steam g a s i f i c a t i o n process which converted wood t o methanol s y n t h e s i s gas i n one s t e p using nickel based c a t a l y s t s i n a fluid-bed g a s i f i e r . Tests i n a nominal 1 ton/day process development u n i t ( P D U ) g a s i f i e r w i t h t h e s e same c a t a l y s t s showed bagasse t o be a good feedstock f o r fluid-bed g a s i f i e r s , but t h e c a t a l y s t s deactivated q u i t e rapidly i n the presence of bagasse. The exact mechanism of deactivation of t h e nickel c a t a l y s t s i s not known, but laboratory s t u d i e s i n d i c a t e i t i s probably a function of both s u l f u r poisoning and carbon deposition. The s u l f u r level i n bagasse (200-400 ppm) i s about f i v e times higher than the s u l f u r level i n wood. Laboratory c a t a l y s t screening tests showed K2C03 doped on t h e bagasse t o be a promising c a t a l y s t f o r converting bagasse t o methanol synthesis gas. PDU t e s t s w i t h 10 wt% K2C03 doped on bagasse showed the technical f e a s ib i l i t y of this type of c a t a l y s t on a l a r g e r scale. A h i g h qua1 i t y s y n t h e s i s gas was produced and carbon conversion t o gas was high. The g a s i f i e r was succ e s s f u l l y operated without forming agglomerates of c a t a l y s t , ash, and char i n t h e g a s i f i e r . There was no l o s s of a c t i v i t y throughout the runs because c a t a l y s t i s continually added w i t h the bagasse. Laboratory t e s t s showed about 80% of the potassium carbonate could be recovered and recycled w i t h a simple water wash.An economic evaluation of the process f o r converting bagasse t o methanol showed t h e required s e l l i n g p r i c e of methanol t o be s i g n i f i c a n t l y higher than t h e c u r r e n t market p r i c e of methanol. A previous economic evaluation of t h e process using wood a s a feedstock showed t h e required s e l l i n g p r i c e of methanol t o be competitive w i t h the market price of methanol (Mudge 1981). Several factors make this current evaluation using bagasse as a feedstock l e s s favorable: 1) capital costs are higher due to inflation and some extra costs required to use bagasse, 2) smaller plant sizes were considered so economies of scale are l o s t , and 3) the market price of methanol i n the U.S. has fallen 44% i n the l a s t six months. Production of methanol from bagasse m...

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