An investigation into the syngas production enhancement from municipal solid waste gasification under various CO₂ concentration atmospheres

Developing environmentally benign and energy efficient ways for the handling and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is becoming more of a concern and waste management issues are becoming more evident. The MSW gasification process to produce syngas is a promising candidate for MSW disposal while yielding a versatile product. Due to the heterogeneous nature of MSW, experimental work has yet to elucidate the mechanism responsible for final gaseous production. Currently, the MSW gasification process has been characterized thermogravimetrically under various heating rates and experimental atmospheres, which enables the optimization of syngas production and char burnout. This preliminary data shows that with any concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere the residual char drops from about 20% of the original mass (in an inert atmosphere) to about 5%, corresponding to a significant amount of carbon monoxide production (a 20mg sample with 100ml/min of purge gas showed 0.7% CO at 825°C). To extend this understanding to a more practical level, MSW samples have been tested in a Drop Tube Reactor (DTR) at a temperature range of 500 to 1000°C and at various atmospheres with carbon dioxide concentrations of 0% to 30%. The release of all chemicals from the reactor has been determined using GC/MS and μ-GC, which enables the generation of data for understanding the overall MSW gasification process. Additionally, the enhancement of syngas under various carbon dioxide atmospheres may provide a methodology for Green House Gas (GHG) reduction.