Novel Supports and Materials for Oxygen Separation and Supply
DOE Phase I Contract DE-FG02-06ER84600
Current coal gasification and combustion processes employ air for their needed oxygen which leads to nitrogen oxide formation and dilute product/waste streams which are hard to separate. This increases the cost of CO2 capture for example. This project will provide a more economical, non-cryogenic, and non-membrane related means of separating, storing, and releasing pure oxygen for use in coal gasification and oxycombustion, leading to the elimination of nitrogen oxides and product/waste streams which are more concentrated and easier to separate, and lowering the cost of CO2 capture in these facilities.
This project addresses the application of novel supports and metal oxides capable of separating oxygen from air and releasing that oxygen so it can be used in coal gasification and related processes such as IGCC and oxycombustion. The technology developed here will be more resistant to attrition than ceramic or metal oxide based supports and will possess large surface area and large oxygen storage capacity. This technology will possess long term stability and will not contain costly noble metals.
The program will initially proceed with preparation of the support followed by synthesis and impregnation of the support by the mixed metal oxides. Thorough tests on the cyclic oxidation and reduction stability, mechanical strength, oxygen storage capacity and release capabilities of each supported oxygen carrier will follow. Preferred oxygen carriers will be optimized.
Cryogenic separation of oxygen is extremely expensive and remains the main obstacle to making several more environmentally friendly fossil fuel utilizing processes commercially possible. Among these are oxygen rich coal gasification and oxycombustion. By utilizing pure oxygen instead of air in coal gasification, and/or oxycombustion, a much more concentrated, easily separated, carbon dioxide gas stream is produced and NOx emissions are eliminated. Since there is a global push for reduction, sequestration, and utilization of greenhouse gases, most notably carbon dioxide, and because this technology will reduce costs associated with carbon dioxide separation in coal gasification, and related processes utilizing a pure oxygen feed, it will be of significant economic and technical benefit to the nation and world community.