Entrained flow gasification of biomass has the potential to generate synthesis gas as a source of renewable chemicals, electricity, and heat. Nonetheless, formation of tar and soot is a major challenge for continuous operation due to the problems they cause at downstream of the gasifier. Our previous studies showed the addition of alkali in the fuel can bring significant suppression of such undesirable products.

The present work investigated, in a drop tube furnace, the effect of potassium on tar and soot formation (as well as on its intermediates) for three different types of fuels: an ash lean stemwood, a calcium rich bark and a silicon rich straw. The study focused on an optimal method for impregnating the biomass with potassium. Experiments were conducted for different impregnation methods; wet impregnation, spray impregnation, and solid mixing to investigate different levels of contact between the fuel and the potassium.

Potassium was shown to catalyze both homogenous and heterogeneous reactions. Wet and spray impregnation had similar effects on heterogeneous reactions (in char conversion) indicating that there was an efficient molecular contact between the potassium and the organic matrix even if potassium was in the form of precipitated salts at a micrometer scale. On the other hand, potassium in the gas phase led to much lower yields of C2 hydrocarbons, heavy tars and soot. These results revealed that potassium shifted the pathways related to tar and soot formation, reducing the likelihood of carbon to end up as soot and heavy tars by favouring the formation of lighter compounds such as benzene. A moderate interaction between the added potassium and the inherent ash forming elements were also observed: Potassium had a smaller effect when the fuel was naturally rich in silicon.

The combined results open the door to a gasification process that incorporates recirculation of naturally occurring potassium to improve entrained flow gasification of biomass.