Study on the gasification of wastepaper/carbon dioxide catalyzed by molten carbonate salts

This study focuses on waste paper gasification in carbon dioxide atmosphere with molten alkali carbonates including potassium, sodium, lithium carbonate or their intermixtures as catalyst. The molten catalysts is capable of facilitating a desired reaction (C + CO2 --> 2CO), which was hardly feasible even at a high temperature of 973 K if catalyst absences. It is that the catalysts which provides a gas-liquid interface between carbon and carbon dioxide, replacing original gas-solid, then allows the two reactants contact each other effectively. Further experimental results demonstrate that the intermixture carbonates exhibit strongly enhancement on catalytic activity than any carbonate salts in the form of single. The reaction rate depends on temperature evaluating manners, a rapid heating processes is favorable to the aimed reaction. With respect to recycling of carbon dioxide, the process provides a conversion in 30%. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.