Valorizing petroleum coke into hydrogen-rich syngas through K-promoted catalytic steam gasification

Abstract

Hydrogen-rich syngas was successfully produced from catalytic steam gasification of petroleum coke. This work studied the steam gasification of petroleum coke over KOH, K2CO3, KNO3, CaO, Fe2O3, K2CO3–CaO and K2CO3–Fe2O3 in a pressurized fixed bed. KOH and K2CO3 demonstrated good catalytic activity compared with other catalysts. The carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) increased from 14.7 wt% to 61.4 wt% and 87.9 wt% after adding 10 wt% K2CO3 and 10 wt% KOH, respectively, and H2 content increased from 60.9 vol% to 66.7 vol% and 64.2 vol%. The increase of gasification temperature and pressure resulted in the increase of CCE. However, raising temperature was beneficial to the increase of H2 and CO contents, while the elevated pressure was in favor of the formation of CH4. In addition, the K-catalytic steam gasification of petroleum coke accorded with the oxygen transfer and intermediate hybrid mechanism.