Chemical looping reforming for syngas production with co-conversion of CH4 and CO2 by using ilmenite ore as both oxygen carrier and catalyst
Zhenkun Sun, Negar Manafi Rasi, Dennis Lu, Robert T. Symonds, Nader Mahinpey, Binchen Wu, Lunbo Duan
Abstract
Chemical looping CH 4 reforming has been accepted as a highly promising solution for sustainable syngas production from gaseous feedstocks, e.g., natural gas, shale gas, biogas, etc. , with reduced safety concerns and without the need for purified O 2 . However, the presence of CO 2 in fuel streams severely suppresses syngas generation when using iron-based oxygen carriers. This study has identified the most possible pathway of the reactions among CO 2 , CH 4, and FeTiO 3 through density functional theory calculation and isotope analysis. Based on the revealed mechanism, a novel strategy for chemical looping CH 4 reforming coupled with CO 2 utilization has been demonstrated by using naturally occurring and low-cost ilmenite ore as both an oxygen carrier and a catalyst. With a well-designed solid configuration, not only can the suppressing effect of CO 2 on CH 4 partial oxidation be mitigated to some extent, but CH 4 and CO 2 can be simultaneously converted into syngas within the same reactor.