OXIDE BASED CERAMIC COMPOSTIE HOT GAS FILTER DEVELOPMENT

HOT GAS PARTICULATE FILTRATION IS CRITICAL TO NEARLY EVERY CLEAN COAL ENERGY CONVERSION TECHNOLOGY. TO DATE, CERAMIC FILTERS HAVE EXHIBITED LIMITED LIFE AND RELIABILITY BECAUSE OF THERMAL SHOCK, THERMAL STRESS, AND CORROSION REACTIONS WITH COAL ASHCONSTITUENTS. OXIDE FIBER-OXIDE MATRIX CERAMIC COMPOSITED ARE EXCELLENT CANDIDATES AS HOT GAS FILTERS. THEY POSSESS FAR SUPERIOR TOUGHNESS AND MECHANICAL STRENGTH PROPERTIES THAN POROUS MONOLITHIC CERAMIC FILTERS. THE SELECTION OF OXIDE CONSTITUENTS WILL PROVIDE THE HIGHEST CORROSION RESISTANCE AGAINST COAL COMBUSTION AND GBASIFICATION BYPRODUCTS. OXIDE-OXIDE COMPOSITE FILTER SAMLES IN TUBULAR GEOMETRY WILL BE DEVELOPED IN PHASE I USING LOW COST PREFORM FABRICATION TECHNIQUES BASED ON CHEMICAL VAPOR INFILTRATED BORON NITRIDE INTERFACES AND OXIDE MATRICES OF ALUMINA AND ZIRCONIA. THE OXIDE-OXIDE COMPOSITE FILTER STRUCTURES WILL BE TESTED FOR COAL PARTICULATE FILTRATION EFFICIENCY AND DURABILITY. POST TEST MICROSTRUCTURAL AND CHEMICAL ANALYSES WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE FOR COMPOSITE PROCESSING IMPROVEMENTSAND SCALE-UP IN PHASE II.