Catalytic mechanism study on the gasification of depolymerizing slag in supercritical water for hydrogen production

Supercritical water gasification technology can realize efficient conversion of biomass, coal and other organics into hydrogen rich gas. But the efficiency of non-catalytic gasification at relative low temperature is not high. Besides, as for catalytic gasification, catalysis mechanism is complex. Thus how to improve efficiency and master the catalysis mechanism is a challenging issue. In this thesis, supercritical water gasification of depolymerizing slag experiments with the catalysis of different kinds of catalysts are conducted and the catalysis mechanism is analyzed. The results indicate that catalyst mechanism of K2CO3 is that it can promote the swelling and hydrolysis of lignocellulose and increase the amounts of phenolic intermediates. Ru/Al2O3 presents some different catalytic properties. It facilitates hydrogenation reaction of hydrolysis products, ring opening reaction and the cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds then enhances gasification degree and increases gasification efficiency. Moreover, the binary catalyst displays a good synergic effect and the catalytic activity is higher than that of any single catalyst since these two catalysts promote various gasification stages. The gasification efficiency and hydrogen yield increase 13.22 mmol g(-1) and 66.46% respectively with the synergic catalyst of K2CO3 and Ru/Al2O3. (c) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigates the supercritical water gasification of depolymerizing slag with different catalysts, revealing the distinct catalysis mechanisms of K2CO3 and Ru/Al2O3. The binary catalyst demonstrates a strong synergistic effect in enhancing gasification efficiency and hydrogen yield, outperforming single catalysts. In conclusion, mastering catalysis mechanisms and utilizing synergistic catalysts are key factors in improving gasification efficiency.