INSITU METHODS USED TO CHARACTERIZE CALCIUM AS A CATALYST OF CARBON GASIFICATION REACTIONS

Various "in situ" techniques, including thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA), isothermal chemisorption, temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), intermittent TPD, temperature programmed reaction (TPR) and BET surface area determination, have been used to characterize calcium as a catalyst of carbon gasification. These techniques were first established with pure CaO samples and then applied to the CaO-carbon system. These methods , and particularly TPD accompanied by internal sample gasification, proved to be an efficient means of getting new insights into the calcium-catalyzed carbon gasification.