1

Syngas And Its

Production
PRESENTED BY: MANQOBA MKHWANAZI &
MZOTHULE MVELASE
SUPERVISOR: PROF AMIR H MOHAMMADI
 Overview 2

 What is syngas.
 Syngas era and energy issue.
 Syngas production technologies.
 Syngas production methods.
 Conclusion
 What is Syngas ? 3

 Syngasis a fuel gas mixture of hydrogen, carbon

monoxide and very often some small amounts of
carbon dioxide, nitrogen and methane.
 The name comes from it use as an intermediate in
creating/production of synthetic natural gas and
producing ammonia or methanol.
 Syngas can be produced from any carbon-based
feedstock including natural gas, coal, biomass etc.
 Methods of production include hydrocarbon feedstocks
by reacting with steam, carbon dioxide, and
gasification.
 Syngas Era and Energy Issue 4

 The discovery of a combustible gas mixture containing

CO and H2 by Italian physicist became the industrial
milestone of syngas.
 The dawn era of fuels and chemicals synthesis from
syngas was initiated in the beginning of the 20th
century.
 The 1st synthesis of synthetic methane was carried out
in 1902 by passing CO and H2 over Ni, Fe and Co
catalysts.
 Syngas Era and Energy Issue (cont.) 5

 The first commercial hydrogen from syngas produced from

steam reforming was also launched to market in 1902.
 Following this success, the synthesis of ammonia from H2 and
N2 and the 1st ammonia synthesis plant was commissioned in
1913.
 In 1921, an effort of methanol synthesis from H2 and CO
catalysed by ZnO was reported for the first time.
 The production of liquid hydrocarbons from syngas was
discovered in 1923 by Fischer and Tropsch.
 Syngas Era and Energy Issue (cont.) 6

 The production and purification technology of syngas has

received attention from researchers and industries for the
last few years.
 This motive is due to decline of global fossil fuel-
petroleum, coal supplies and need for clean and
alternative energy.
 Theenergy supply of the world still heavily relies on
combustion of fossil fuels.
 Syngas Era and Energy Issue (cont.) 7

 Some major challenges on fuel issue:

(a) To supply alternate fuels meeting a high demand of fuels.
(b) To increase the efficiency of energy utilisation for fuels
(c) To eliminate pollutants and control the green house gas
emissions.
 Technology development on syngas can address these matters in the
foreseeable future.
 Syngas Generation Technologies 8
 Emerging technologies in syngas production open greater
opportunity for syngas utilization and change its economic value
globally.
 Several developed technologies are available for syngas
production including reforming and gasification.
 Other examples include air blow catalytic reforming, air products'
heat exchange reforming and Davy’s compact reforming.
 Inrecent decades, reforming of natural gas is one of most
important methods for syngas production.
 Syngas Generation Technologies (cont.) 9
 Natural gas consisting of primarily methane (CH4) is abundantly
available.
 Conventional production methods via steam reforming of
natural gas have been dominant and industrialized techniques.
 Each reforming process generates syngas mixtures of different
syngas ratio, H2/CO.
 Steam reforming of natural gas, in which methane and steam are
converted to H2 and CO provides 95% of hydrogen demand.
 Syngas Generation Technologies(cont.) 10
 Partial oxidation of methane with oxygen under exothermic
reaction in presence of a catalyst generates lower H2/CO ratio
and is of most interest for gasoline production.
 Any carbonaceous materials are potential feedstocks for syngas
generation.
 These materials include natural gas, naphtha, residual oil have
been used by large-scale syngas producers.
 Syngas Production methods – 1. Steam 11

Reforming
 Theendothermic reaction of steam reforming is carried out at
750-850 oC and 20-30 atm.
 The catalyst used is nickel.
 The reaction that takes place is shown bellow:
CH4 + H2O CO +3H2 1.
 Thewater-gas shift reaction which is exothermic also occurs
simultaneously with the above reaction.
CO + H2O CO2 + H2 2.
 Syngas Production methods – 1. Steam 12

Reforming (cont.)
 The steam reform method can generate syngas with H2/CO
≥ 5.
 The major drawback of the steam reforming method is due
to deactivation of the nickel catalyst.
 Witha high syngas ratio, hydrogen produced is mainly used
in ammonia production and fertilizer synthesis.
 Syngas Production methods – 2. Partial 13

Oxidation
 The exothermic reaction can generate syngas with syngas ratio of
2.
 This method is desirable for methanol production plants or
Fischer-Tropsch.
 The reaction is demonstrated in reaction 3:
CH4 + ½ O2 CO +2H2 3.
 The catalyst used is nickel based.
 Syngas Production methods – 2. Partial 14

Oxidation (cont.)
 This process also has a drawback as the is catalyst deactivation
due to coke formation.
 Partial
oxidation is advantageous compared to steam reforming
because it includes autothermal operation.
 Partialoxidation can also be carried out in the absence of a
catalyst.
Syngas Production Methods – 3. CO2 Dry 15

Reforming
 Large
quantities of CO2 in the atmosphere causes global
warming or greenhouse effect.
 Researchactivities on the activation of CO2 to useful products is
gaining more and more importance.
 Theendothermic reaction of methane and carbon dioxide
proceeds assisted by a nickel based catalyst.
 Syngas Production Methods – 3. CO2 Dry 16

Reforming (cont.)
 Research shows that the presence of CO2 in the feed for steam
reforming reduces the syngas ratio.
 Therefore, this method may be used to if the presence of CO2 in
the feed is appreciable.
CH4 + CO2 CO + 2H2 4.
 The syngas produced is desirable for the production of liquid
hydrocarbons or petrochemical products.
 Syngas Production Methods – 4. 17

Autothermal Reforming
 Autothermal reforming uses oxygen and CO2 or steam in a
reaction with CH4 to form syngas.
 Autothermal reforming is steam reforming with oxygen input.
 Theheat required for endothermic steam reforming is
supplied by the exothermic partial oxidation.
 Theprocess also requires the availability of low-cost oxygen
supply.
 Syngas Production Methods – 4. 18
Autothermal Reforming (cont.)
 Thereactions can be described in the following equations,
using CO2:
2CH4 + O2 + CO2 3H2 + 3CO + H2O 5.
 And using steam:
4CH4 + O2 + 2H2O 10H2 + 4CO 6.
 Syngas generated from autothermal reforming method
assisted by a catalyst is desirable for gas to liquid (GTL)
applications.
 Syngas Production Methods – 5. 19
Gasification
 Syngas production via gasification has a very bright future
regarding sustainable development of fuel supplies.
 A wide range of carbonaceous material have been used as
feedstock for gasification.
 coal is converted to coke by pyrolysis (destructive distillation).
Subsequently, alternating blast of steam is contacted with coke
bed.
 Syngas Production Methods – 5. 20
Gasification (cont.)
 The major reactions involved are combustion, Boudourd
reaction and steam gasification.
 The reactions are written as:
C + ½ O2 CO (Gasification with O2) 7.
C + O2 CO2 (Combustion with O2) 8.
C + CO2 2CO (Gasification with CO2) 9.
C + H2O CO + H2 ( Gasification with steam) 10.
 Syngas Production Methods – 5. 21
Gasification (cont.)
 Gasificationof coal for syngas production accounts for the
largest amount.
 Gasification is also compatible with biomass.
 The presence of very low sulphur contents in biomass
favours these feedstocks as cleaner syngas in produced.
 The large ash content in coal (>41 – 46 %) may cause
problems in the gasifier.
 Conclusion
22

 Steam reforming produces high syngas ratio.

 Partial oxidation includes autothermal operation.
 Dry reforming is preferable if the feed natural gas contains
appreciable CO2 content.
 Autothermal reforming is advantageous since it requires no
external heat source.
 Gasification is favourable since it produces much cleaner
syngas gas.
 References 23

 H.- W. Häring (ed.), Industrial gases processing, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH and
Co.,Weinheim (2008).
 P.L. Spath and D.C. Dayton, Preliminary Screening–Technical and Economic
Assessment of Synthesis Gas to Fuels and Chemicals with Emphasis on the
Potential for Biomass-Derived Syngas, Technical Report, NREL/TP-510-34929,
December 2003.
 K. Liu, C. Song, and V. Subramani (Eds.), Hydrogen and Syngas Production and
Purification Technologies, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
(2010).
 D. J. Wilhelm, D. R. Simbeck, A. D. Karp, R. L. Dickenson, Fuel Proces. Technol.
71,139 (2001).