Influence of Fe2O3/CaO Catalysts on the Pyrolysis Products of Low-Rank Coal

The co-pyrolysis characteristics of low-rank coal were studied in the presence of Fe2O3/CaO catalyst in different proportions. The results show that the Fe2O3/CaO catalyst increases the yields of gas and char. For a ratio of 7%, the yield of gas increased by 3% and the gas reached the highest calorific value. As the ratio increased to 9%, the yield of char increased by 3%, and the activity of char improved because of the rough surface and uneven cracks of the char. The yield of tar decreased slightly, but straight-chain alkanes and some high-value-added chemical compounds in the tar increased, achieving the enrichment of high-value-added products in pyrolysis tar. A synergistic reaction may exist between the Fe2O3 and CaO.