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The reduction mechanism and kinetics of Fe2O3 by hydrogen for chemical-looping hydrogen generation

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Abstract

Low-grade hydrogen-containing gases can be converted into high-value pure hydrogen by chemical-looping hydrogen generation. Iron-based oxygen carrier is believed to be the most suitable oxygen carrier for CLHG. It is essential to investigate the reduction mechanism and kinetics of Fe2O3 with hydrogen. The reduction of Fe2O3 by H2 was conducted in a thermogravimetric analyzer at 973–1172 K. The phase analysis of reduction products in different reduction stages illustrated that Fe2O3 → Fe3O4 and Fe3O4 → FeO proceed simultaneously; hence, the reduction process is a two-step reaction, in the sequence of Fe2O3 → FeO and FeO → Fe. To investigate the reaction mechanisms for the two steps, the Hancock–Sharp method and the nonlinear fitting approach were applied to select the kinetic models. The reaction mechanisms of Fe2O3 → FeO can be described by nucleation and growth model. The activation energy is 36.74 ± 1.09 kJ mol−1, and reaction rate equation derived from Arrhenius law is estimated for Fe2O3 → FeO. As for FeO → Fe, the first stage is controlled by the phase-boundary reaction, and the oxygen diffusion affects the last stage of the reduction process.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2015BAD21B05 and 2014BAC24B00) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21477061). The authors also wish to express thanks to the Beijing Engineering Research Center of Biogas Centralized Utilization (Tsinghua University) for support of the experimental unit construction.

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  1. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    Yidi Wang, Xinyue Wang, Xiuning Hua, Chaocheng Zhao & Wei Wang

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  1. Yidi Wang
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  2. Xinyue Wang
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  4. Chaocheng Zhao
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  5. Wei Wang
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Correspondence to Wei Wang.

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Wang, Y., Wang, X., Hua, X. et al. The reduction mechanism and kinetics of Fe2O3 by hydrogen for chemical-looping hydrogen generation. J Therm Anal Calorim 129, 1831–1838 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-017-6267-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-017-6267-7

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