Abstract:
This work studied the effects of mineral matter on co-gasification of coal and biomass including rice husk and corn cob. The experiments were carried out in a fixed bed reactor at temperature about 800 degree Celsius. The comparative study, consisting of pyrolysis, co-pyrolsis, gasification and co-gasification, was performed. The effects were evaluated considering weight loss, rate of weight loss with temperature n pyrolysis, gas composition and carbon conversion into products *gas, tar, and char). It was found that mineral matter in coal showed an insighificant effects on pyrolysis. In contrast, the mineral matter in biomass decreased peak-temperature of pyrolysis about 40-50 degree Celsius. After demineralization, the rate of weight loss became higher. In the case of co-pyrolysis, mineral matter in rice husk increased the rate of weight loss when mixed with demineral coal. It was observed that mineral matter in both types of biomass after demineralization decreased weight loss and increased rate of weight loss in co-pytrolysis. In gasification, mineral matters in coal, particularly calcium and iron, were found to enhance water-gas shift reaction so that hydrogen and carbondioxide composition became higher. Mineral matter in corn cob, mainly potassium, was likely to inhibit repolymerization, leading to the decrease in char yield and the increase in volatile matter or tar.