The aluminum silicate catalyst effect on efficiency of energy yield in gasification of paper-reject sludge

This research investigated the mineral aluminum silicate catalyst effect on the enhancement of energy yield efficiency and reduction of the tar yield concentration in the gasification of paper-reject sludge. Experimental results indicated that the energy yield efficiency is enhanced by the tested mineral catalyst. When gasification temperature operated at 600 C, the lower heating value (LHV) of syngas increased significantly from 8.66 MJ/Nm³ to 13.38 MJ/Nm³ with an increase in aluminum silicate catalyst addition from 0% to 20%. The energy density of syngas also increased from 0.53 to 0.82. This implied that the energy utilization of syngas produced by a low temperature catalytic gasification could increase approximately 1.5 times the energy content of paper-reject sludge. The tar reduction efficiency could reach approximately 50% which was also proportional to the catalyst addition ratio. In summary, the aluminum silicate catalyst can help to improve the efficiency of tar reduction and energy yield in a low temperature catalytic gasification of paper-reject sludge.