Trace Metal Capture

Trace metals in syngas have the potential to poison reforming catalysts and fuel cells, damage blades, and contaminate fungible chemical products, resulting in the release of dangerous contaminants into the environment. Southern Research has extensive experience and proven success in developing, assessing, and applying the use of both high-temperature sorbents and low-temperature processes for the safe and cost-effective removal of trace metals from syngas.

Southern Research offers the following advanced capabilities for capturing trace metals:

• Development of designer sorbents and injection processes to optimize the effectiveness of the sorbents in capturing trace metals from syngas; these methods protect and extend the life of filters, catalysts, fuel cells, gas separation membranes, and other sensitive process equipment as well as improve product quality.
• Sorbent injection systems for protecting metallic and ceramic barrier filters from damage by trace metals
• Sorbent injection systems for protecting downstream catalysts, fuel cells, gas separation membranes, and other downstream equipment
• Assessment and validation of client sorbents and other approaches using the world-class laboratory and pilot plant facilities at Southern Research
• Representative large-scale pilot plant gasifier and syngas conversion systems
• Laboratory and bench-scale reactors and other systems

Successful Application and Development of High-Temperature Sorbents

As an example of our established success in this area, testing conducted by Southern Research at the National Carbon Capture Center indicated that a kaolinite-type sorbent could capture potassium vapor from coal gasification-based syngas. The resulting process developed by Southern Research protected the downstream barrier filter from damage by the alkali vapor while avoiding the formation of undesirable low-melting eutectics.

Additionally, the Southern Research Clean Energy Development Center in Durham, NC, is developing and applying a new sorbent-based system to remove trace metals from raw syngas generated by a biomass-to-liquids pilot plant. The goals include protecting biorefinery equipment, including a Fischer Tropsch reactor catalyst, and improving the purity of the FT-diesel and FT-wax produced.