A comparative review on thermal behavior of feedstocks during gasification via thermogravimetric analyzer

With increasing initiatives on clean power plan and carbon neutrality, gasification is one of the most promising ways toward cleaner energy production using a diverse range of feedstocks. However, prior to gasification, the feedstock must be thoroughly analyzed. The characteristics of various feedstocks, including coal, biomass, petcoke, municipal solid waste (MSW), and their blends, are studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). TGA is widely employed to examine the effect of various parameters, such as time, temperature, heating rate, residence time, pressure, gas composition, and particle size, on the gasification reactivity and kinetics of different carbonaceous feedstocks. Since it is realistic, rapid, reliable, and cost-effective, it is a widely used technique. This review details various thermal analysis techniques, including TGA, differential thermal analysis, and derivative thermogravimetry that can be used for feedstock characterization. The objective of this review is to compare and analyze the reactivity and kinetics behavior of various feedstocks during gasification using TGA. It was observed that the reactivity of biomass is found to be greater than that of MSW, coal, and petcoke with their activation energy in the range of 56-230 kJ mol(-1), 100-275 kJ mol(-1), 58-250 kJ mol(-1), and 120-640 kJ mol(-1). This paper will also help in predicting the suitability of different feeds for gasification as well as selecting/designing suitable gasifier. It does highlight different feedstocks used in gasification, along with several thermal analysis techniques. Additionally, in this overview directions of future progress are anticipated for its sound development.

Automated summary

Gasification is a promising method for cleaner energy production, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) is widely used to study the reactivity and kinetics of different carbonaceous feedstocks. This review compares and analyzes the behavior of various feedstocks during gasification using TGA, and finds that biomass has higher reactivity than MSW, coal, and petcoke. The review also highlights different feedstocks and thermal analysis techniques used in gasification.