The growing awareness of climate change due to anthropogenic CO2 emissions has started a search for clean and renewable energy sources. The chemical looping process is an emerging technology that has potential for high energy efficiency and simultaneous carbon capture. Chemical looping has primarily been demonstrated by using nonrenewable coal as the fuel source. In the future however, using lignocellulosic biomass as the primary fuel could result in a clean and renewable energy source. Fundamental to the chemical looping process are oxygen carrying (OC) particles. These OC particles commonly consist of a metal oxide, which bind oxygen, and an inert support, used to increase mechanical strength and long-term usability. Optimizing the composition of the OC particles for high oxygen carrying capacity, high reactivity, long-term recyclability, high attrition resistance, and low cost is important to achieving economic efficiency and environmental friendliness for the process. Using thermogravimetric analysis the reduction-oxidation reactions of several compositions of OC particles and their reactions with biomass were studied. From the metal oxides Fe2O3, CuO, and NiO and two support materials, it was determined that the Fe2O3 and NiO mixtures showed optimum characteristics for biomass chemical looping combustion. Gaining understanding of the reaction characteristics of different oxygen carrying particles and interactions with biomass is fundamental to extending the chemical looping process to lignocellulosic materials and the development of a clean, renewable energy process.No embarg
