This research investigated potential solutions to issues plaguing biomass gasification, including the formation of corrosive hydrochloric acid and slag deposits. Previous work has shown that chloride content is directly related to hydrochloric acid production and slag accumulation. This project studied the effectiveness of two additives to the biomass fuel - dolomite and lime - and their ability to retain chloride that would otherwise be freed to form hydrochloric acid. In an analysis that tested chloride content of corn and wood biomass before and after ashing, it was found that corn stover naturally retains about three fourths of its relatively high initial chloride content in the ash. When added at 4% by mass, both dolomite and lime were able to retain 100% of the chloride within standard error for the corn stover. Wood samples were found to naturally retain a third of the very low amount of chloride present in the ground sample, and that dolomite and lime were again able to retain 100% of chloride within standard error. The results and conclusions for wood were weakened by the low number of samples and low initial chloride content. This research provides evidence for a potential method for the drastic reduction of hydrochloric acid production during gasification and demands further exploration of dolomite and lime additives to biomass fuels.

Chloride retention in biomass with the addition of lime and dolomite

249th National Meeting (2015)

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