Fluidized-bed and fixed-bed reactor testing of methane chemical looping combustion with MgO-promoted hematite

In this study MgO-promoted Fe2O3 hematite oxygen carriers were synthesized from various Mg sources and evaluated for methane chemical looping combustion. Particles suitable for fluidized bed flow reactor studies were prepared in the lab. Cyclic CLC tests conducted in the fluidized bed with MgO promoted hematite showed better performance than that with hematite. Attrition resistance of laboratory prepared MgO promoted hematite was excellent. Reactivity and stability of the oxygen carrier materials were also tested in the thermogravimetric analyzer and bench-scale reactors. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used to study the morphology and elemental compositions present in the hematite and promoted hematite oxygen carriers prior to and following the multi-cycle chemical looping reaction. The incorporation of 5 wt% MgO led to an increased reaction rate and an increase in oxygen utilized as compared to the pure hematite oxygen carrier. Possible reasons for the promotion effect by MgO were evaluated. These studies reveal that the best performing oxygen carrier was the 5 wt% MgO/Fe2O3 which exhibited no observed degradation in the kinetics and conversion performance in the methane step over 15 reduction and oxidation cycles. The Mg promoted oxygen carrier also showed reduced coke formation as compared to the pure hematite carrier.