(114c) An Experimental Study of Sulfur Release in Gas Products of Coal Steam Hydrogasification

An Experimental Study of Sulfur Release in Gas Products of Coal
Steam Hydrogasification

Qian Luo, Chan S. Park, Joseph M. Norbeck

Bourns College of Engineering

Center for Environmental
Research and Technology (CE-CERT)

University of California,  Riverside,  California 92521-0425.

Steam
hydrogasification reaction (SHR) is
the thermochemical
conversion of carbonaceous materials into synthetic gas
in
steam and hydrogen environment. It has been developed by
the Bourns College of Engineering - CE-CERT at the University of California, Riverside (UCR). Like other thermochemical process, the formation
of gaseous sulfur species from the solid sulfur in the
feedstock becomes inevitable which necessitates the cleaning
of gas to make it end-use possible. Therefore, a better understanding of the
sulfur release in the gas phase in SHR could
help to find the suitable method to remove sulfur containing species for the
protection of downstream catalysts.

The
temperature, steam and H₂ amount have an effect on the distribution
of the various gaseous sulfur species. Experiment results showed that sulfur in
the
feedstock is mainly converted to H₂S in the SHR
process but COS and CS₂ are undetectable. The H₂ and
steam environment in the SHR process are
favorable for the formation of H₂S and suppress
the COS
and CS₂ formation. Furthermore, increase of H₂S
concentration was observed with the rise in temperature from 700^oC to 800^oC.
However,
the increasing the partial pressure of H₂
decreased the H₂S concentration released
in the gas phase.