Alkaline hydrothermal de-ashing and desulfurization of low quality coal and its application to hydrogen-rich gas generation

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2011, Vol.52 (1), p.762-769
• Main Authors: Mursito, Anggoro Tri, Hirajima, Tsuyoshi, Sasaki, Keiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alternative fuels. Production and utilization; Applied sciences; Ashes; Coal; Desulfurization; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel processing. Carbochemistry and petrochemistry; Fuels; Hydrogen; Hydrothermal treatment; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Nuclear reactor components; Reduction; Solid fuel processing (coal, coke, brown coal, peat, wood, etc.); Sulfur; Upgrading; X-rays
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2010.08.001

This paper describes experimental research and a fundamental study of alkaline hydrothermal treatment of high-sulfur, high-ash coal from Banten, Java-Indonesia. Experiments were carried out on a laboratory-scale 0.5 L batch reactor. The alkaline hydrothermal treatment gave upgraded clean coal with low sulfur content (about 0.3 wt.%) and low ash content (about 2.1 wt.%). A zero carbon dioxide and pure hydrogen gas were produced at 330 °C by introducing an alkali (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) to the hydrothermal treatment of raw coal. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) techniques were used to test for the removal or reduction of major inorganic elements in the coal, and changes in carbon-functional groups and their properties were determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Carbon-13 of nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13C NMR) tests on the product of the hydrothermal upgrading and demineralization process.