CHEMICAL-PROCESSING IN HIGH-PRESSURE AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTS - LOW-TEMPERATURE CATALYTIC GASIFICATION

A gasification system is under development that can be used with most types of wet organic wastes. The system operates at 350 degrees C and 21 MPa using a liquid water phase as the processing medium. Since a pr essurized system is used, the wet waste can be fed as a solution or sl urry to the reactor without drying. Through the development of catalys ts, a useful processing system has been produced. The system has utili ty both for direct conversion of high-moisture biomass to fuel gas or as a wastewater cleanup system for wet organic wastes including unconv erted biomass from bioconversion processes. By the use of this system >99% conversions of organic waste to medium-heating value fuel gas can be achieved.