Applications for the Gasification Product

Another class of applications for the gas from gasification involves chemical conversion for the production of important chemicals and fuels. For instance, if the H2 and CO content of the gas is higher than 70%, it is possible to produce methanol through the reaction  

Of course, this type of application requires that the H2/CO mixture composes most of the gas, so that CH4, hydrocarbons, and tar need to be minimized. For this reason, the use of O2 as a gasifying agent is recommended for this application. 

Another synthesis apphcation of syngas is the already mentioned Fischer-Tropsch process. This process combines CO and H2 at high temperatures at varying ratios to make hydrocarbons, which are gasoline-like compounds  

The products of the Fischer-Tropsch reactions are a mixture of hydrocarbons, because a wide range of values for n can be used as coefficients in this reaction. As previously mentioned, Fischer-Tropsch has primarily been used for converting coal to liquid fuels, but the principle could be used for conversion of biomass as well. SASOL, a company in South Africa, has been producing liquid fuels from coal for over 30 years. 

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