Co-gasification of black liquor and pyrolysis oil at high temperature: Part 1. Fate of alkali elements

The catalytic activity of alkali compounds in black liquor (BL) enables gasification at low temperatures with high carbon conversion and low tar and soot formation. The efficiency and flexibility of the BL gasification process may be improved by mixing BL with fuels with higher energy content such as pyrolysis oil (PO). The fate of alkali elements in blends of BL and PO was investigated, paying special attention to the amount of alkali remaining in the particles after experiments at high temperatures. Experiments were conducted in a drop tube furnace under different environments (5% and 0% vol. CO2 balanced with N-2), varying temperature (800-1400 degrees C), particle size (90-200 mu m, 500-630 mu m) and blending ratio (0%, 20% and 40% of pyrolysis oil in black liquor). Thermodynamic analysis of the experimental cases was also performed. The thermodynamic results qualitatively agreed with experimental measurements but in absolute values equilibrium under predicted alkali release. Alkali release to the gas phase was more severe under inert conditions than in the presence of CO2, but also in 5% CO2 most of the alkali was found in the gas phase at T = 1200 degrees C and above. However, the concentration of alkali in the gasification residue remained above 30% wt. and was insensitive to temperature variations and the amount of PO in the blend. Thermodynamic analysis and experimental mass balances indicated that elemental alkali strongly interacted with the reactor's walls (Al2O3) by forming alkali aluminates. The experience indicated that adding PO into BL does not lead to alkali depletion during high temperature gasification. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.