(2019) Applied Energy_Enhancement of syngas for H₂ production via catalytic pyrolysis of orange peel using CO₂ and bauxite residue

Yoon K., Lee S.S., Ok Y.S., Kwon E.E., Song H.

(Elsevier Ltd) Applied Energy ISSN: 3062619 Vol.254 Issue. Article No.113803 DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2019.113803

This study investigated co-pyrolysis of orange peel and bauxite residue, focusing on enhancing syngas generation through CO₂-cofeeding. The results revealed that adopting CO₂ as a reactive gas medium led to an increase of CO generation through the gas phase reactions of CO₂ and pyrolysates. Such phenomena were further enhanced by the presence of bauxite residue, yielding 75% enhancement of CO generation, which is likely due to the catalytic role of metallic components in the bauxite residue. These observations offered useful implications in H2 production. First, CO generated from the process could be converted into H₂ by adopting an additional chemical unit operation (i.e., water-gas-shift reaction). Second, considering that the final products of the water-gas-shift reaction are H₂ and CO₂, the CO₂ from water-gas-shift reaction could be reutilized by looping CO₂ into the pyrolysis process to further expedite H₂ production. Apart from H₂ production perspective, the more carbon conversion into CO is practically beneficial for reducing coke formation. Hence, the overall results of this study suggest that careful selection of biomass wastes and proper utilization of industrial waste materials could provide a viable platform for developing more efficient energy-harvesting process in thermolysis technology. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education ( NRF-2017R1D1A1A09000800 ).