Gasification Kinetics of Coal Char in Carbon Dioxide and Steam Atmospheres

The conversion of coal char via gasification with carbon dioxide and steam lies at the heart of clean-coal and hydrogen production technologies. Coal char, the carbon-rich solid remaining after pyrolysis, reacts at elevated temperatures to form synthesis gas—a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Reaction rates are governed by a complex interplay of surface chemistry, pore structure evolution and mass transport. Key parameters include temperature, pressure, char morphology and the availability of active surface sites. Established kinetic regimes range from chemisorption-limited to diffusion-limited, and models such as Langmuir–Hinshelwood, random pore and shrinking core are routinely employed to interpret experimental data. Recent advances integrate high-resolution imaging, pressurised reactors and refined kinetic frameworks to link morphological changes with intrinsic activation energies, thereby enhancing reactor design and process optimisation for lower emissions and improved efficiency.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Gasification Kinetics of Coal Char in Carbon Dioxide and Steam Atmospheres publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in gasification kinetics of coal char in carbon dioxide and steam atmospheres across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Coal char: Carbonaceous residue from coal pyrolysis that undergoes gasification reactions.

Activation energy: Energy threshold that must be surpassed for a chemical reaction to occur, expressed in kJ mol–1.

Langmuir–Hinshelwood model: Surface reaction model in which adsorbed reactants interact on active sites to form products.

Random pore model: Kinetic approach accounting for changes in pore structure and reactive surface area during gas–solid reactions.

Synthesis gas (syngas): Mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen generated by gasification, used for fuel synthesis and chemicals.

Diffusion control: Reaction regime where the transport of reactants or products through pores limits overall rate.

References

1. High pressure CO2 gasification of Morupule coal: Kinetics and morphological development of chars. Chemical Engineering Journal (2023).
2. Gasification kinetics of Barapukurian coal char using carbon dioxide and steam reactants. Chemical Papers (2022).
3. Gasification under CO2–Steam Mixture: Kinetic Model Study Based on Shared Active Sites. Energies (2017).