Chemical processing in high-pressure aqueous environments. 8. Improved catalysts for hydrothermal gasification

Improved catalyst formulations have been developed and tested for hydrothermal gasification of wet organics. A high-pressure ( about 20 MPa) and high-temperature ( about 350 degrees C) liquid water processing environment was used to treat organic chemical model compounds. The organic feedstocks were converted primarily to methane and carbon dioxide in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst. Test results with different catalyst formulations showed that catalyst composition could be tailored for the hydrothermal environment to effectively process wet wastes and wastewater and to recover useful fuel gas.