| Popis: |
The dominant means of energy production today consist of the use of nonrenewable and environmentally harmful fossils that cannot be used for eternity. Alternative energy sources are needed to combat the use of these fossil fuels and to one day replace them altogether. One potential fuel source is synthesis gas that can be derived from biomass and biomass waste. A production method for this synthesis gas is in the form of supercritical water gasification (SCWG). While SCWG is a relatively well-known process on a macro-level, little is known about the process at a molecular level. This work focuses on the study of the SCWG of three different two-carbon carboxylic acid derivatives – acetaldehyde, acetic acid, and acetamide – to get a better understanding of the gasification process itself. SCWG reactions were run on the three feedstocks in a custom built, high nickel alloy reactor at temperatures of 650 °C and 3600 psi with a residence time of 30 seconds. Gaseous products were quantified and analyzed via gas chromatography to determine reaction parameters such as composition, yield, and gasification rate. Acetaldehyde had hydrogen yields of about 1.1 to 1.7 moles H2 per mole acetaldehyde fed while acetic acid and acetamide had yields of around 0.02 moles H2 per mole reactant. It was determined that the process of SCWG of carbonyl groups seemingly follows the same reactivity trend as that of general nucleophilic attack of carbonyls, which makes it likely that the SCWG of carbonyls occurs via the nucleophilic attack of water towards these carbonyl groups. |
