Gasification Processes of Carbonaceous Materials

Gasification transforms carbonaceous materials—such as coal, biomass, petroleum coke and waste chars—into a combustible gaseous mixture, commonly known as syngas. This thermochemical process proceeds at elevated temperatures in the presence of a controlled oxidant, typically steam, oxygen or carbon dioxide. Gasification encompasses a series of complex reactions: drying, devolatilisation, char gasification and tar cracking. The resulting syngas, rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide, serves as a versatile intermediate for power generation, chemical synthesis and hydrogen production, offering pathways to decarbonisation and circular resource utilisation. Recent advances have focused on improving reactor design, optimising catalyst systems and refining kinetic models to enhance conversion efficiency, reduce tar formation and enable modular or large-scale deployment. Integration with carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) and co-gasification of mixed feedstocks is driving the development of flexible, low-emission processes that respond to both environmental imperatives and energy security demands.

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Gasification Processes of Carbonaceous Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in gasification processes of carbonaceous materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Gasification: Thermochemical conversion of solid carbonaceous feedstocks into a combustible gas mixture under controlled oxidising conditions.

Syngas: Synthesis gas, a mixture primarily of hydrogen (H₂) and carbon monoxide (CO), used as a fuel or chemical feedstock.

Char: Carbon-rich solid residue remaining after devolatilisation of biomass or coal, subsequently gasified to produce syngas.

Catalyst: Substance that accelerates chemical reactions during gasification without being consumed, often metal oxides or chlorides.

Kinetic model: Mathematical representation of the rates and pathways of gasification reactions, used to predict conversion under varying conditions.

References

1. Catalytic coal gasification: mechanism, kinetics, and reactor model. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology (2024).
2. Study on Steam Co-Gasification of Waste Tire Char and Sewage Sludge. Energies (2023).
3. Catalytic performance of Na/Ca-based fluxes for coal char gasification. Green Processing and Synthesis (2022).