Comparison of catalytic pyrolysis and gasification of Indonesian low rank coals using lab-scale bubble fluidized-bed reactor

Various methods are used in the coal gasification technology for increasing the efficiency of low rank coal to the level of high rank coal through catalytic gasification. The catalyst used in the catalytic gasification process lowers the activation energy required in the coal gasification reaction. Our purpose was to determine the characteristics of the reaction conditions for producing syngas and the characteristics for comparison catalytic pyrolysis and gasification performance. Among various coals, we used Indonesian low rank coals (Indonesian lignite, MSJ, and Roto South) characterized by a large deposit volume and low cost. Catalytic pyrolysis and gasification experiments were run under the same experimental conditions (reactor type, reaction temperature, catalyst content, and catalyst input method), and the characteristics were compared. Taking the conversion and heating values into consideration, the optimal conditions for catalytic gasification in this study were an H2O/C mole ratio of 10, temperature of 800 °C, and 10 wt% catalyst impregnation.