Catalytic Gasification and Reforming Processes for Chemical Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

The gasification of carbonaceous solid materials via reaction with steam/air is a well-known process for the transformation of raw carbonaceous materials into synthesis gas (CO, H₂) and other light gases.  The produced gas mixture can be utilized in chemical synthesis or as a fuel for generating heat and electricity. Gasification occurs via a complex network of reactions that comprises, in general terms, depolymerization, volatilization, cracking and reforming.  Due to the presence of inorganic elements in the feedstock and the occurrence of lateral carbonization reactions, chars and ash are also solid products.  Many carbonaceous feedstocks are amenable to gasification.  Commercial processes have been developed for the gasification of coal, biomass and plastics. The main process issues associated with gasification are the reaction of variable composition feedstocks and the formation of tars that tend to foul process vessels and pipelines.  The latter contributes greatly to the cost of the facilities due to the need for gas cleaning.

In recent years, the development of catalytic gasification processes has garnered significant attention. Catalysts are commonly employed in the chemical and petroleum industries to increase reaction rates, decrease reaction temperatures and modify the selectivity of reactions. Reducing the reaction temperature during gasification could increase the useful lifetime of the process units and reduce the size of the temperature gap between the reaction and the gas cleaning sections.  The improvement of activity and selectivity are also required for greater gasification yields, tar abatement, an increase in the heating value of the gas, and the modulation of the CO:H₂ ratio of synthesis gas. However, the use of catalysts introduces some advantages and some problems. The catalytic destruction of tars spares the need for gas washing units, thus reducing the issue of effluents. Meanwhile, the use of a catalyst leads to the problem of catalyst deactivation and regeneration, as well as the need for catalyst make-up and disposal.

This Special Issue, entitled “Catalytic Gasification and Reforming Processes for Chemical Engineering”, will be devoted to the last advances in catalytic gasification.  The gasification of coal has been extensively studied in the past so will not be addressed significantly in this Special Issue.   The co-gasification of coal with biomass and plastics will, however, be addressed due to its technological importance, and thus the fundamentals of coal gasification will have to be briefly discussed.

A wide variety of catalysts can be used, but their fundamental properties can be related to their acidic, basic and metal properties. The characterization of catalysts in order to elucidate the role of different sites in the reaction mechanisms is crucial for the development of reactivity models and rate equations for reactor design, and the kinetics are complex due to the combinatorial explosion of possible reaction pathways and intermediates. Studies with model molecules are needed in order to understand the basic underlying chemistry, and studies with real-life feedstocks that lead to useful reaction rate expressions are welcome due to their technical importance.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Catalytic gasification of biomass.
• Catalytic gasification of plastics waste.
• Catalytic gasification reactor: feedstock and design.
• Gasification process design, simulation and optimization.
• Gas conditioning by catalytic means: tar cracking, tar reforming.
• Co-gasification of biomass + coal, plastics + coal.
• Catalytic experimental studies: catalyst screening, catalyst design, catalyst characterization, catalyst coking and poisoning.
• Reaction kinetics studies related to the main gasification network and to the chemistry of tar cracking and tar reforming, plastics pyrolysis, cracking and reforming.
• Catalytic gasification of biomass: catalysts, thermodynamics and kinetics.
• Comparative analysis of biomass gasification and reforming technologies for syngas production and power generation.
• Review on the gas cleaning technologies in gasification processes.
• Catalytic technologies for gasification: A patent survey.
• Current status of commercial of gasification plants.
• Techno-economic performance and potential benefits of catalytic gasification.

Dr. Carlos Vera
Dr. Mariana Busto
Prof. Dr. Enrique Tarifa
Guest Editors

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• catalytic gasification
• tars
• steam reforming
• cracking
• reforming
• synthesis gas
• biomass gasification
• coal-biomass gasification
• plastics gasification
• kinetics
• processes