An Attrition-Resistant Zinc Titante Sorbent for a Transport Reactor

40222 November 6, 1996 Intercat Development, Inc. Mixed metal oxide sorbents are being developed for hot gas desulfurization for advanced integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power systems. Recent testing of a leading sorbent formulation, a spray-dried zinc titanate, in a pilot-scale transport reactor indicated a need for improved attrition-resistance of the sorbent in order to reduce fines generation. Conventional clay binders, such as bentonite and kaolinite, used in the preparation of current spray-dried zinc titanate sorbents do not provide the needed strength to withstand the extremely harsh mechanical stresses generated in a transport-type fluidized-bed reactor. This project will utilize a novel clay-phosphate binder for zinc titanate compositions to produce highly attrition-resistant zinc titanate microspheres by spray drying, while maximizing their chemical reactivity. Phase I will demonstrate the applicability of this novel binder technology to zinc titanate sorbents in a laboratory-scale spray dryer. The sorbents prepared using this technology will be characterized to identify those formulations that meet the performance targets defined by the supplier of the transport reactor technology. One superior sorbent will be tested for 10 cycles of absorption regeneration to demonstrate its cyclic absorption/regeneration performance and attrition resistance. Anticipated Results/Potential Commercial Applications as described by the awardee: Once the production and use of these highly attrition resistant and reactive zinc titanate sorbents are demonstrated, the operational cost of advanced IGCC plants should be reduced due to reduction in sorbent requirements. The near-term use of these sorbents should be in the Pinon-Pine Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Project jointly funded by DOE and the Sierra Pacific Power Company.