Chemically enhanced char for syngas filtering purposes

This paper investigates the performance of gasification char as syngas filter medium. Char obtained from a small-scale downdraft gasifier was analyzed and chemically enhanced through an acid treatment using a sulfuric acid solution in a thermostatic bath at 40 °C. The treated char presents a higher BET value of 465.9557 m2/g in comparison with the untreated sample which has a BET value of 394.4430 m2/g. However, the treated sample has a low metallic cations content (K, Fe and Sr) and consequentially a low ash content compared to the untreated sampled. Char samples are used as cartridge filter media in order to assess their tar adsorption potential using a modified “Tar Sampling Protocol” method. Experimental results show a noticeable tar content reduction in the syngas using char as filter, in fact the treated char reduces the tar number from 1456 mg/Nm3 to 267.2 mg/Nm3 and the untreated char reduces the tar number from 1456 mg/Nm3 to 179.6 mg/Nm3. The difference in the tar adsorption is probably given by the char ash content that it is less in the treated sample.