The chemistry of the feed coals and
coal gasification residues
derived from the commercial entrained-flow General Electric (GE) and
Gaskombinat Schwarze Pumpe (GSP) coal gasification plants in China
was investigated by proximate and ultimate and X-ray fluorescence
(XRF) spectrometer analyses. The chemical compositions of the feed
coals and gasification residues derived from the commercial GE and
GSP coal gasification plants provided an understanding of the behaviors
of the chemical components during entrained-flow coal gasification.
The fate of chemical compositions during the commercial entrained-flow
coal gasification was evaluated through systematic sampling and chemical
analyses. Although the feed coals used in the GE and GSP coal gasification
plants were generally similar in properties, the coal gasification
residue ashes derived from the GSP gasification were more heterogeneous
than those from the GE gasification. However, more proportions of
carbon in the feed coal were converted during the GSP coal gasification
according to the unreacted carbon contents in the gasification residues
indicated by the loss on ignition value. Si and Al were stable in
both the GE and GSP gasification processes, while Mg, Na, and P tended
to be more volatile. However, the ashes of the GE coal gasification
residues and GSP coal gasification residues were respectively ferricalsialic
and calsialic, as was mainly determined by the properties of the feed
coals instead of the gasification technology. A comparison to previous
research showed that the GE and GSP coal gasification residues have
a potential for carbon recovery and being used as the raw materials
of inorganic materials such as geopolymers.