Characterization of char from biomass gasification and its similarities with activated carbon in adsorption applications

Abstract This study points out the similarities between gasification char and activated carbon and reviews its successful applications in the field of adsorption. Since only few data on char from biomass gasification are available in the literature, chars collected from six different commercial gasification plants have been characterized by different techniques. Similarities and differences of the six samples have been pointed out and eventually, three samples have been selected as the most suitable for further applications of char as activated carbon. Characterization results have been compared with data available in the literature and finally, effective examples of char applications as adsorbent have been reported.

[1]  Alain Thorel,et al.  Multi-scale characterisation of chars mineral species for tar cracking , 2017 .

[2]  Danielle D. Bellmer,et al.  Effects of Biomass Feedstocks and Gasification Conditions on the Physiochemical Properties of Char , 2013 .

[3]  E. Henrich,et al.  Combustion and gasification kinetics of pyrolysis chars from waste and biomass , 1999 .

[4]  Henrik Hauggaard-Nielsen,et al.  Gasification biochar as a valuable by-product for carbon sequestration and soil amendment , 2015 .

[5]  Stephen Ogaji,et al.  Chromium removal from flocculation effluent of liquid-phase oil-based drill-cuttings using powdered activated carbon , 2007 .

[6]  Mohd Zobir Hussein,et al.  Activated carbon derived from peat soil as a framework for the preparation of shape-stabilized phase change material , 2015 .

[7]  José M. Encinar,et al.  Pyrolysis of various biomass residues and char utilization for the production of activated carbons. , 2009 .

[8]  B. Mandelbrot.  Fractal Geometry of Nature , 1984 .

[9]  Vladimir Rafael Melian Cobas,et al.  Biomass gasification in a downdraft gasifier with a two-stage air supply: Effect of operating conditions on gas quality , 2014 .

[10]  Woranan Nakbanpote,et al.  Preparation and characteristics of agricultural waste activated carbon by physical activation having micro- and mesopores , 2008 .

[11]  Juan Manuel de Andrés,et al.  Characterisation of tar from sewage sludge gasification. Influence of gasifying conditions: Temperature, throughput, steam and use of primary catalysts , 2016 .

[12]  Janka Dibdiakova,et al.  Characterization of Ashes from Different Wood Parts of Norway Spruce Tree , 2014 .

[13]  Y. Kulyk,et al.  SAXS investigation of nanoporous structure of thermal-modified carbon materials , 2014, Nanoscale Research Letters.

[14]  V. Rocher,et al.  Removal of emerging micropollutants from wastewater by activated carbon adsorption: Experimental study of different activated carbons and factors influencing the adsorption of micropollutants in wastewater , 2016 .

[15]  Bo Zhang,et al.  Additivity of pore structural parameters of granular activated carbons derived from different coals and their blends , 2016 .

[16]  Marco J. Castaldi,et al.  Possible Utilization Pathways of Char from Biomass Thermochemical Conversion: Char as a Catalytic Filtering Medium for Tar Cracking , 2016 .

[17]  Javier Bilbao,et al.  Influence of operating conditions on the steam gasification of biomass in a conical spouted bed reactor , 2014 .

[18]  Mark D. Foster,et al.  SAXS investigation of model carbon pore structure and its change with gasification , 1991 .

[19]  Carmen Barriocanal,et al.  Properties and performance of mesoporous activated carbons from scrap tyres, bituminous wastes and coal , 2015 .

[20]  B. Bockrath,et al.  New Approaches in Coal Chemistry , 1981 .

[21]  Wang Geun Shim,et al.  High density Mongolian anthracite based porous carbon monoliths for methane storage by adsorption , 2017 .

[22]  R. C. Bansal,et al.  Activated Carbon Adsorption , 2005 .

[23]  Tsai,et al.  Effects of Burn-off and Activation Temperature on Preparation of Activated Carbon from Corn Cob Agrowaste by CO(2) and Steam. , 2000, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[24]  Serpil Yenisoy-Karakaş,et al.  Production of granular activated carbon from fruit stones and nutshells and evaluation of their physical, chemical and adsorption properties , 2003 .

[25]  Prabir Basu,et al.  Biomass Gasification and Pyrolysis: Practical Design and Theory , 2010 .

[26]  Carl-Erik Grip,et al.  Methanol production from steel-work off-gases and biomass based synthesis gas , 2013 .

[27]  J. Satrio,et al.  Characterization of biochar from fast pyrolysis and gasification systems , 2009 .

[28]  C. Franco,et al.  Unconverted chars obtained during biomass gasification on a pilot-scale gasifier as a source of activated carbon production. , 2003, Bioresource technology.

[29]  O. Glatter,et al.  19 – Small-Angle X-ray Scattering , 1973 .

[30]  B. Girgis,et al.  Adsorption characteristics of activated carbons obtained from corncobs , 2001 .

[31]  Karin Björklund,et al.  Adsorption of organic stormwater pollutants onto activated carbon from sewage sludge. , 2017, Journal of environmental management.

[32]  C. Xu,et al.  Effects of activation agents and intrinsic minerals on pore development in activated carbons derived from a Canadian peat , 2011 .

[33]  Hermann Hofbauer,et al.  Hydrogen production within a polygeneration concept based on dual fluidized bed biomass steam gasification , 2016 .

[34]  W. Heschel,et al.  On the suitability of agricultural by-products for the manufacture of granular activated carbon , 1995 .

[35]  Wei Li,et al.  Effects of CO2 activation on porous structures of coconut shell-based activated carbons , 2009 .

[36]  Tingting Li,et al.  Effects of gasification temperature and atmosphere on char structural evolution and AAEM retention during the gasification of Loy Yang brown coal , 2017 .

[37]  Suzana Yusup,et al.  Kinetic studies on carbon dioxide capture using lignocellulosic based activated carbon , 2013 .

[38]  Michal Lovás,et al.  Preparation of chemically activated carbon from waste biomass by single-stage and two-stage pyrolysis , 2017 .

[39]  Ulla Lassi,et al.  Removal of phosphate and nitrate over a modified carbon residue from biomass gasification , 2014 .

[40]  Henrik Thunman,et al.  Influence of Surrounding Conditions and Fuel Size on the Gasification Rate of Biomass Char in a Fluidized Bed , 2016 .

[41]  Harold D. Bale,et al.  Small-angle X-ray-scattering investigation of submicroscopic porosity with fractal properties , 1984 .

[42]  Helena Lopes,et al.  Characterization, leachability and valorization through combustion of residual chars from gasification of coals with pine. , 2012, Waste management.

[43]  Anastasia Zabaniotou,et al.  Agricultural residues as precursors for activated carbon production—A review , 2007 .

[44]  S. Ucar,et al.  Preparation and characterization of activated carbon from waste biomass. , 2009, Journal of hazardous materials.

[45]  Harry Marsh,et al.  CHAPTER 2 – Activated Carbon (Origins) , 2006 .

[46]  Ulla Lassi,et al.  Chemically activated carbon residue from biomass gasification as a sorbent for iron(II), copper(II) and nickel(II) ions , 2014 .

[47]  Magín Lapuerta,et al.  Characterisation of residual char from biomass gasification: effect of the gasifier operating conditions , 2016 .

[48]  U. Lassi,et al.  Physical activation of carbon residue from biomass gasification: Novel sorbent for the removal of phosphates and nitrates from aqueous solution , 2015 .

[49]  Tomás Cordero,et al.  Phenol adsorption onto powdered and granular activated carbon, prepared from Eucalyptus wood. , 2004, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[50]  G. Porod,et al.  Die Röntgenkleinwinkelstreuung von dichtgepackten kolloiden Systemen. II. Teil , 1952 .

[51]  Lei Ge,et al.  The preparation of activated carbon discs from tar pitch and coal powder for adsorption of CO2, CH4 and N2 , 2017 .

[52]  S. D. Probert,et al.  Petroleum contaminated ground-water: Remediation using activated carbon , 2006 .

[53]  Inderjeet Tyagi,et al.  Kinetics and thermodynamics of enhanced adsorption of the dye AR 18 using activated carbons prepared from walnut and poplar woods , 2015 .

[54]  Jae-Ho Kim,et al.  Fischer–tropsch diesel production and evaluation as alternative automotive fuel in pilot-scale integrated biomass-to-liquid process , 2016 .

[55]  Praveen Kolar,et al.  Investigation of adsorption of p-cresol on coconut shell-derived activated carbon , 2016 .

[56]  Helena Lopes,et al.  Chars from gasification of coal and pine activated with K2CO3: acetaminophen and caffeine adsorption from aqueous solutions. , 2014, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[57]  Bruno Glaser,et al.  Chemical evaluation of chars produced by thermochemical conversion (gasification, pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonization) of agro-industrial biomass on a commercial scale. , 2013 .

[58]  Sang Soo Lee,et al.  Pyrolysis process of agricultural waste using CO2 for waste management, energy recovery, and biochar fabrication , 2017 .

[59]  I. Dincer,et al.  Effects of various gasification parameters and operating conditions on syngas and hydrogen production , 2016 .

[60]  Daren E. Daugaard,et al.  Preparation of activated carbon from forest and agricultural residues through CO2 activation , 2004 .

[61]  Bachir Bouchekima,et al.  Adsorption of dyes on activated carbon prepared from apricot stones and commercial activated carbon , 2015 .

[62]  Clive Chong,et al.  Activated carbon derived from carbon residue from biomass gasification and its application for dye adsorption: Kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamic studies. , 2016, Bioresource technology.

[63]  Aik Chong Lua,et al.  Preparation and characterization of activated carbons from oil-palm stones for gas-phase adsorption , 2001 .

[64]  Marco Baratieri,et al.  Effect of pyrolysis temperature on miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) biochar physical, chemical and functional properties , 2014 .

[65]  Angel Linares-Solano,et al.  Characterization of Activated Carbon: An Approach to The Activation Process by Saxs and Optical Microscopy , 1991 .

[66]  Marco J. Castaldi,et al.  Catalyst Properties and Catalytic Performance of Char from Biomass Gasification , 2012 .

[67]  Gordon McKay,et al.  Dye adsorption onto char from bamboo. , 2010, Journal of hazardous materials.

[68]  Amornchai Arpornwichanop,et al.  Techno-environmental analysis of the biomass gasification and Fischer-Tropsch integrated process for the co-production of bio-fuel and power , 2016 .

[69]  Hermann Hofbauer,et al.  Hydrogen Production within a Polygeneration Concept Based on Dual Fluidized Bed Biomass Steam Gasification , 2016 .

[70]  Feng-Chin Wu,et al.  Preparation of highly porous carbon from fir wood by KOH etching and CO2 gasification for adsorption of dyes and phenols from water. , 2006, Journal of colloid and interface science.

[71]  Andrea Gasparella,et al.  Small-scale biomass gasification CHP systems: Comparative performance assessment and monitoring experiences in South Tyrol (Italy) , 2016 .

[72]  K. Yoshikawa,et al.  In-situ catalytic conversion of tar using rice husk char-supported nickel-iron catalysts for biomass pyrolysis/gasification , 2014 .

[73]  Robert Pietrzak,et al.  Comparison of physicochemical and sorption properties of activated carbons prepared by physical and chemical activation of cherry stones , 2015 .

[74]  R. Diduszko,et al.  On surface of micropores and fractal dimension of activated carbon determined on the basis of adsorption and SAXS investigations , 2000 .

[75]  Pedro Ollero,et al.  Optimization of char and tar conversion in fluidized bed biomass gasifiers , 2013 .

[76]  Peter Lodewyckx,et al.  Adsorption of lead by chemically activated carbons from three lignocellulosic precursors , 2016 .