Title:
Characterisation and Potential Applications of Soot Particles Produced in a Commercial Biomass Gasification Plant
Author(s):
San Miguel, G., Hernández, M., Sánchez-Caba, J.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
Soot particles generated in a commercial scale biomass gasification plant have been investigated to determine their physical and chemical characteristics and evaluate their potential application as fuels or adsorbents. The as received particles were characterised for their: elemental composition; proximate composition (moisture, ash and volatile matter content); particulate size distribution; heating value; surface area and porosity characteristics; morphological characteristics by scanning electron microscopy (SEM); thermal behaviour under inert (N2) and oxidising (air) atmospheric conditions. Aqueous phase adsorption tests were also conducted using phenol and methylene blue to evaluate the potential use of soot particles as adsorbents in the treatment of wastewaters. SEM images showed that, despite their visual uniformity, soot particles exhibit notable variability in their morphological characteristics which has been attributed to their nature and formation mechanism: on the one hand, highly porous carbonized char are formed directly by dehydration and subsequent carbonization of the original biomass particles; on the other, non-porous solid shaped particles generated from the condensation and polymerization of pyrolytic vapours into tarry formations. The soot particles exhibited a very low moisture and volatile content, not excessively high ash content (6.5 wt%), superior thermal stability and a heating value comparable to high rank coal (anthracite). The particles exhibited a BET surface area of 23.98 m2/g, with a very limited contribution of micropores. Aqueous adsorption capacity for phenol and methylene blue was insignificant, evidencing no potential in this type of applications. Preliminary and ongoing research is showing very limited concentration of biologically active PAH.
Keywords:
adsorbent, gasification, particle emission
Topic:
Thermochemical conversion - Gasification for power and CHP and polygeneration
Subtopic:
Gas cleaning (session 1)
Event:
18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
OA7.4
Pages:
593 - 598
ISBN-13:
978-88-89407-56-1
ISBN-10:
88-89407-56-5
Paper DOI:
10.5071/18thEUBCE2010-OA7.4
Price:
FREE
