Ny. Hu et Aw. Scaroni, FRAGMENTATION OF CALCIUM-BASED SORBENTS UNDER HIGH HEATING RATE, SHORT RESIDENCE TIME CONDITIONS, Fuel, 74(3), 1995, pp. 374-382
A laser heating technique was developed to study the fragmentation beh
aviour of calcium-based sorbents under high heating rate, short reside
nce time conditions. Eight geologically dissimilar, commercially avail
able calcium-based sorbents were tested in the reactor using particle
sizes in the range 37-105 mu m. The fragmentation behaviour was a func
tion of sorbent type, particle size and particle temperature over the
range of 600-1600 degrees C, with the sorbent type being the dominant
parameter. Dolostones were more susceptible to breakage than limestone
s. The mechanism proposed for the fragmentation of the dolostones invo
lves the rapid decomposition of the magnesium carbonate, which builds
within the particles a sufficiently high pressure of CO2 to overcome t
he inherent mechanical strength.