Alkali desorption from ilmenite oxygen carrier particles used in biomass combustion

Oxygen-carrying fluidized bed materials are increasingly used in novel technologies for carbon capture and storage, and to improve the efficiency of fuel conversion processes. Potassium- and sodium-containing compounds are released during biomass combustion and may have both negative and positive effects on conversion processes. Ilmenite is an important oxygen carrier material with the ability to capture alkali in the form of titanates. This is a desirable property since it may reduce detrimental alkali effects including fouling, corrosion, and fluidized bed agglomeration. This study investigates the interactions of alkali-containing compounds with ilmenite particles previously used in an industrial scale (115 MWth) oxygen carrier aided combustion system. The ilmenite samples were exposed to temperatures up to 1000 degrees C under inert and oxidizing conditions while the alkali release kinetics were characterized using online alkali monitoring. Alkali desorption occurs between 630 and 800 degrees C, which is attributed to loosely bound alkali at or near the surface of the particles. Extensive alkali release is observed above 900 degrees C and proceeds during extended time periods at 1000 degrees C. The release above 900 degrees C is more pronounced under oxidizing conditions and approximately 9.1 and 3.2 wt% of the alkali content is emitted from the ilmenite samples in high and low oxygen activity, respectively. Detailed material analyses using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were conducted before and after temperature treatment, which revealed that the concentrations of potassium, sodium and chlorine decrease at the outermost surface of the ilmenite particles during temperature treatment, and Cl is depleted to a deeper level in oxidizing conditions compared to inert. The implications for ilmenite-ash interactions, oxygen carrier aided combustion and chemical looping systems are discussed.