Catalytic steam gasification of Yallourn coal using sodium hydridotetracarbonyl ferrate

Abstract

Catalytic steam gasification of Yallourn coal using sodium hydridotetracarbonyl ferrate was carried out in a semi-flow-type fixed-bed reactor at 873 and 973 K at atmospheric and high pressures. With Na[HFe(CO) 4] (Fe 1.67 wt%, Na 0.68 wt%), the steam gasification of the coal was more highly promoted than with Na 2CO 3 (Na 2.17%) and the coal was almost completely burnt out. The gasification rate decreased with increasing carbon burnoff with or without catalyst at 873 K, but increased in the presence of the catalyst at 973 K. Under pressurized steam (0.4 MPa), the catalyst exhibited higher activity. The char, obtained from Yallourn coal under argon at 823 K for 2 h, gasified under steam partial pressures of 0.4 and 0.8 MPa behaved the same as the original coal and no increase in gasification rate with steam pressure was observed. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that Na[HFe(CO) 4] was converted to Fe 3O 4 and Na 2CO 3 during the reaction.