Air gasification of PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-containing plastic waste in a two-stage gasifier using Ca-based additives and Ni-loaded activated carbon for the production of clean and hydrogen-rich producer gas

A plastic waste containing polyvinyl chloride was gasified in a two-stage gasifier consisting of a fluidized bed reactor and tar-cracking zone to produce a hydrogen-rich producer gas with low tar and HCl contents. In particular, this study investigated the effects of calcined Ca-based additives, especially oyster shells, and a Ni-loaded activated carbon on the chlorine and tar removal. Additionally, a ∼3 h gasification of the plastic waste was performed using a distributor with a large hole size to confirm the gasification stability. In the experiments, where 900 g activated carbon was applied, all the producer gases were free of tar. The maximum H2 content (30 vol.%) in the producer gas was obtained with 900 g of Ni-loaded activated carbon. Chlorine in the feed material was mainly distributed in char and condensate liquid. The HCl contents in the producer gases obtained with the calcined Ca-based additives including oyster shells were under 1 ppm. The ∼3 h gasification revealed that the gasification was stable in terms of tar content in producer gas and producer gas composition.