ABSTRACT

In a previous chapter (Chapter 5), there has been mention of the use of the gasification process to convert carbonaceous feedstocks, such as crude oil residua, tar sand bitumen, coal, oil shale, and biomass, into the starting chemicals for the production of petrochemicals. The chemistry of the gasification process is based on the thermal decomposition of the feedstock and the reaction of the feedstock carbon and other pyrolysis products with oxygen, water, and fuel gases such as methane and is represented by a sequence of simple chemical reactions (Table 10.1). However, the gasification process is often considered to involve two distinct chemical stages: (i) devolatilization of the feedstock to produce volatile matter and char, (ii) followed by char gasification, which is complex and specific to the conditions of the reaction—both processes contribute to the complex kinetics of the gasification process.