Co-Gasification of Coal Industry Residual and End-of-Life Tires for High-Value Energy and Carbon Products Demonstration Project

PI: Carlos Romero 

Co-PI: Julio Bravo

University: Lehigh University

Industry partner: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

The proposed project seeks to demonstrate a scalable, environmentally sound, and economically viable process for maximizing the beneficial use of Pennsylvania coal industry residual and end-of-life waste tires. This project is centered on the co-gasification of Pennsylvania coal industry residual and pre-processed end-of-life tires (ELT) within a pilot-scale downdraft gasifier system, which is capable of running up to 50 kilograms per hour.

The objective of the proposed project is to conduct pre-commercial trials of a fully developed co-gasification process to establish optimal performance parameters, validate product quality (including syngas and carbon char), and establish a clear path for commercial implementation. Our methodology leverages the advantages of co-gasification, which is known to improve stability and overall syngas quality compared to processing coal residual or ELT alone. A range of super- to sub-stoichiometric conditions will be explored for gasifying and pyrolyzing the blend. The project team will systematically evaluate the impact of blend ratios as well as the chemical reaction between coal waste and tires and the impact on product yield and quality.  The co-gasification process will focus on converting coal waste and ELT into high quality syngas, suitable for electricity generation or chemical synthesis, and residual char, which can be upcycled into valuable activated carbon or carbon black substitute.

Successful waste coal and ELT co-gasification demonstration will yield validated performance data on optimal blend ratios and operational conditions for the 50 kg/hr gasifier, a detailed characterization of the syngas and carbon char products accepted by the industrial gasification partner, and a techno-economic analysis. The project team is led by Lehigh University Energy Research Center (LU-ERC), partnered with Air Products and Chemical, Inc. (APCI), and the Pennsylvania coal industry.