Carbon2Chem® technical center

Aim

Large-scale methanol synthesis based on metallurgical gases

• Proof of catalyst performance and stability with alternative synthesis gases from metallurgical gases
• Validation of the gas cleaning concept for synthesis gas production
• Comparison between real and synthetic synthesis gases
   

Application

• methanol synthesis
   

Technical specifications

• Tubular reactor with electrical heating
• stainless steel (ø 9 mm, 100 bar)
• Real metallurgical gas
• Artificial metallurgical gas
• Dosing of pure CO2
• Gas Chromatograph (FID/TCD)

Aim

Adsorptive treatment of metallurgical gases with subsequent regeneration of adsorbents using electricity

• Separation of strongly adsorbed components
• Utilization of electrical conductivity of activated carbon
• Modification of non-conductive adsorbents
• Efficient and low-gradient heating of the adsorbers

Application

• Reversible separation of strongly adsorbed minor components from exhaust gases
• Efficient regeneration of adsorbents
• Protection for other adsorption technologies

Technical specification

• Adsorber tanks, each with a volume of 35 L
• Flow rate up to 6 Nm3/h
• Desorption up to 350 °C
• Simultaneous adsorption and desorption in two vessels

Aim

Deoxygenation of coke oven gas

• Selective conversion of trace oxygen using non-thermal plasma
• Determination of suitable reactor and generator configurations for an energy-efficient implementation
• Analysis of the operating behavior in real coke oven gas
• Evaluation of the scalability of the plasma technologies

Application

• Oxygen removal from gases with catalyst deactivating trace components
• Off-gas cleaning under dynamic process conditions

 Technical specification

• 2 plasma reactors (dielectric barrier discharge in the gas volume or on the electrode surface)
• Flow rates up to 10 Nm³/h, pressures up to 5 barg, voltages up to 10 kV, frequencies from 4-500 kHz
• Multi-channel analyzer for trace oxygen (electrochemical Pb/PbO2 sensor), CO, CO2, CH4 (infrared cells) and H2 (thermal conductivity detector)

Investigation of industrial ammonia synthesis with real gases from the smelter on a laboratory scale.

Aim

• Large-scale industrial ammonia synthesis based on metallurgical gases
• Verification of catalyst performance and stability with alternative synthesis gases from metallurgical gases
• Validation of the gas purification concept for synthesis gas generation
• Comparison between real and synthetic synthesis gases

Application

• Ammonia synthesis

Technical specification

• Two stainless steel tubular reactors with electrical heating
• Real metallurgical gas
• Synthetic metallurgical gas
• Gas drying with trace moisture measurement
• Gas chromatograph (FID/TCD)
• Electrochemical oxygen sensors

Laboratory 5 is a high-tech analysis laboratory to analyze the gases from gas processing before they are converted into raw materials by the project partners in other laboratories. The gas composition is determined down the smallest detail by a PTR-QiTOF-MS (Proton Transfer Reaction-Quadrupole interface-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometer) and by two micro GCs.

Aim

Continuous online measurement of the purified gases and identification of all main (% range), secondary (‰ to ppm range), and trace compounds (ppb to ppt level)

• Identification of potential catalyst poisons at a ppb or ppt level
• Quantification and monitoring of the time profiles of any critical components that may be present

Application

• Chromatographic determination of main and secondary components
• Characterization of the trace components with three different primary ions (H₃O⁺, NO⁺, and O₂⁺)
• Permanent monitoring of the purified gases to prevent any catalyst deactivation
• Calibration of relevant substances
• Long-term measurement campaigns to support the optimization of gas treatment
• Parameter optimization (dilution factor, collision energy, pressure, temperature, etc.)

Technical specification

• Online gas chromatography via two micro GCs
• Online trace analysis
• A mobile analysis system with installed dilution apparatus (up to 1:1000 with N₂)
• Specially developed monitoring system to monitor critical components in real time

The HüGaProp (Hüttengas-Properties, metallurgical gas properties) containers are two containers, one of which is a laboratory container and the other a supply container. The trace components in the three raw metallurgical gases (coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, and basic oxygen furnace gas) are characterized in the laboratory container, whereas the supply container provides the gas supply to the analysis equipment. The main components are determined using a GC with FID/WLD, while the trace compounds are measured with a PTR-TOF-MS.

Aim

Continuous online measurement of the raw metallurgical gases and identification of all of the trace compounds contained in them

• Identification of potential catalyst poisons at a ppb or ppt level
• Quantification and monitoring of the time profiles of critical components

Application

• Characterization of the trace components with three different primary ions (H₃O⁺, NO⁺, and O₂⁺)
• Chromatographic determination of main and secondary components
• Calibration of relevant substances using a calibration gas generator
• Long-term measurement campaigns
• Parameter optimization (dilution factor, collision energy, pressure, temperature, etc.)

Technical specification

• Online gas chromatography (FID/WLD)
• Online trace analysis (PTR-QiTOF-MS)
• Dilution apparatus (three-pump system)
• A calibration gas generator
• Gas supply: H₂, O₂ (6.0), N₂ (5.0 and 6.0), He, Ar, compressed air, coke oven gas, blast furnace gas, basic oxygen furnace gas
• Split air conditioning system
• Exhaust air system
• Gas alarm system
• UPS

Aim

Real gas tests with cleaned metallurgical gases

• Long-term tests with cleaned real metallurgical gases
• Verification of laboratory results on a technical scale
• Transfer of the results to industrial plants
   

Application

• Production of methanol from blast furnace gas or CO₂
• Testing of predictive control strategies in dynamic operation
   

Technical specification

• Reactor with boiling water cooling
  • Length: 6.0 m
  • Inner diameter: 34.3 mm
• Up to 89 bar and 270 °C
• 2-stage makeup gas compressor up to 6 Nm³ /h
• 1-stage feed gas compressor up to 40 Nm³ /h
• Condensation of liquid products with sampling
• Principal component analysis in recycle gas online
• Measurement of the temperature profile on the reactor axis with 36 measuring points
• Remote transmission of all measurement data

The plant allows heterogeneous catalysts to be tested in a tubular reactor under technically relevant reaction conditions. Catalyst tests can be carried out with synthesis gases from real and synthetic metallurgical gases.

Aim

• Development and implementation of gas purification and treatment technologies for metallurgical gases

Application

• Testing of catalysts for oxygen conversion
• Comparison of the influences of synthetic and real metallurgical gases on the catalytic process
• Scale-up, testing under operating conditions

Technical specification

• Reaction temperature up to 330 °C
• Reaction pressure up to 90 bar (abs.)
• 1-inch tubular reactor (22mm di), 70 cm isothermal zone
• on-line gas chromatograph with FID and WLD
• Electrochemical measurement of O2 concentration
• Automated experimental procedure

Pilot plant for the purification of converter gas and blast furnace gas as well as for the recovery of hydrogen from coke oven gas supplied from the steel mill of tk Steel Europe.

Aim

• Provision of synthesis gas to produce ammonia or methanol

Application

• Processing of steel mill gases to reduce CO₂ emissions and save fossil fuels or fossil feedstocks for chemical syntheses

Specification

• Complete removal of impurities from steel mill gases that can act as catalyst poisons