Prodn. of clean gas contg. hydrogen and carbon mon:oxide - by gasification of coal in metal melt

摘要

Gasification of coal to produce a CO- and H-contg. gas which is free of sulphur and particulate impurities is carried out by injecting coal, O2 and a coolant (esp. water) into a metal melt. The coal is injected in a stoichiometric excess w.r.t. the oxygen present in the melt in the form of oxide cpds. The coal and O2 are pref. injected into the metal (pref. Fe or Cu) melt in a ratio such that H2O and CO2 formation are suppressed. The C/H molar ratio in the material injected into the melt is pref. 0.25-4, and the C/O ratio is pref. 1.2-4.6. The process is pref. stopped when the S content reaches a max. of 1000 ppm., after which the S is removed from the melt by blowing with O2 or adding CaO. The product gas canbe used asa fuel or processed to produce synthesis gas (esp. for methanol synthesis). Clean product gas can be produced from a wide range of coal types (including peat and wood products). Sulphur accumulating in the melt can be recovered in the form of an SO2-rich gas (e.g. useful for H2SO4 mfr.).