# Biomass gasification and reaction kinetics pathways in Chemical Looping Combustion

Eddy Jonatan Moreno-Roman, Patrice Font, Paul Hazemann, Nicolas Vin

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Eddy Jonatan Moreno-Roman, Patrice Font, Paul Hazemann, Nicolas Vin. Biomass gasification and reaction kinetics pathways in Chemical Looping Combustion. 33rd European Biomass Conference & Exhibition, Centre commun de recherche de la Commission Européenne, Jun 2025, Valence, Spain. [hal-05307847](https://hal.science/hal-05307847v1)

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Submitted on 10 Oct 2025

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# Biomass gasification and reaction kinetics pathways in Chemical Looping Combustion.

Eddy Jonatan MORENO-ROMAN, Patrice FONT, Paul Hazemann, Nicolas Vin

IFP Energies nouvelles, rond-point de l'échangeur de Solaize, BP3, 69360 – Solaize,
France

Corresponding author : paul.hazemann@ifpen.fr

Keywords : Char gasification, Kinetics, Mechanism reaction

This research study focuses on the production, characterization and gasification of char, which is intended for future applications in CLC-biomass systems. Given its relevence, it is pertinent to introduce this work within the framework of regime *Topic 4 – Biomass conversion for bioenergy*, specially in the subsection number 4.3. *Gasification for power, CHP and polygeneration*.

## INTRODUCTION

Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) has emerged as a promising solution for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), aiming to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions from industrial processes at minimal cost. The CLC concept relies on the use of a carrier material that facilitates combustion in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere in fluidized-bed reactors, enabling the production of high-purity CO₂ flue gas, which is easily storable or usable. While CLC has been extensively studied for gaseous fuels, its application to biomass fuels introduces additional complexities that remain unsolved. When utilizing biomass as fuel, two distinct reaction stages are observed: devolatilization and drying of the biomass. Despite major scientific and technological advancements over the past decade, understanding the pathways of biomass gasification reactions poses significant challenges due to the inherent complexities of biomass's physico-chemical properties, which hinder the commercialization of this technology. Although a general framework of the reaction involving various oxygen carriers has been investigated, providing valuable insights into the reaction chemistry, comprehensive models that accurately describe the reactivity of different biomass components have yet to be fully explored and investigated.
## AIM AND APPROACH

The aim is to investigate the kinetics and mechanism of biomass conversion in CLC, by decoupling the individual reactions involved, specially: devolatilization (char formation), char gasification, and volatile combustion. In this context, the study will investigate char formation, focusing on the effects of various process parameters on its properties, including reactor temperature, heating rate, gas flow, particle size and biomass type. The produced char will be comprehensively characterized using techniques such as BET surface area analysis, Hg porosimetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman, X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and CHONS analysis. As it is known, during the pyrolysis and gasification of biomass, the formation of tars is a critical aspect that needs to be carefully managed. Tars are complex organic compounds formed during the breakdown of biomass. Thus, a tars collector will be used in order to analyze all the organic molecules which will help to identify and quantify the organic molecules for the study of kinetic and mechanism reaction.

Then, the char gasification reaction will be extensively analyzed under different conditions and with the different chars produced in the first experiments to evaluate reaction kinetics, with a particular emphasis on the most influential parameters. Based on these two analyses, a mechanism reaction and a kinetic model will be proposed to enhance the understand of biomass reaction.

## SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION AND RELEVANCE

Herein, a more comprehensive reaction mechanism is presented, utilizing a fluidized-bed reactor [1, 2]. Specially, this research helps to better comprehension the biomass devolatilization, gasification and volatile combustion, aiming to establish a foundation for enhancing the industrial application of Chemical Looping Combustion with biomass. Understanding the mechanism of biomass reaction is crucial for several reasons. First, it allows the optimization of reaction conditions to maximize both efficiency and yield. Second, elucidating these mechanisms can help to identify key parameters that influence emissions, facilitating the development of cleaner and more sustainable processes. Furthermore, this knowledge allows for the precise design of industrial plants. Finally, and equally important, a detailed understanding of biomass gasification reactions can support the integration of biomass into existing energy systems, promoting the use of renewable resources in Carbon Capture and Storage technologies.
## RESULTS

Results demonstrate that the primary factors influencing char formation are pyrolysis temperature, biomass feedstock, support material (such as SiC or Al₂O₃), and gas flow rate. As shown in Fig. 1a, varying the reaction conditions results in different profiles. Notably, the support material appears to have an impact in heat transfer, depending on its specific characteristics, which in turn affects the formation of by-products such as CO, CO₂, and CH₄. Simultaneously, the textural properties of the char, as shown in Fig. 1b, were altered in comparison to the raw biomass pyrolysis. The pore size distribution varied significantly

for each char sample, indicating that different operational conditions influenced the char's porous structure. Furthermore, the chemical structure of the char was modified by changing the operational conditions, as depicted in Fig. 1c. Specially, variations in support material and gas flow rate

led to distinct chemical composition in the chars. In the cases of char samples 1 and 2, no notable differences in chemical structure were observed. However, in char 4, a significant change in the chemical structure was evident. It appears that reducing the gas flow rate prevents certain volatile compounds from being released from the char structure, causing them to remain trapped within the pores, which in turn reduces the specific surface area (SSA) of the char. The kinetic and reaction mechanism of biomass gasification are influenced by several key factors, including the chemical combustion of the biomass, particle size, reaction temperature, gasification conditions, heating rate, and the presence of an oxygen carrier. Understanding the interplay between these factors is crucial for optimizing the processes like CLC-biomass gasification and improving the overall of biomass conversion technologies.

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## CONCLUSIONS

Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) with biomass has emerged as a promising technology for Carbon Capture and Storage. However, significant challenges in the design and operation arise due to the dynamic nature of the process and the complexity of various reactions and interactions between the solid and the gaseous phases. Additionally, when considering the scale-up of CLC-biomass systems, several issues must be addressed before the technology can be implemented at a commercial scale. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the most recent experimental research on char formation, characterization, gasification processes, and the underlying reaction mechanism.
The findings indicate that char formation is highly influenced by operational parameters, such as temperature, the type of support material, gas flow rate, and the characteristics of the biomass feedstock. Notably, the presence of the support materials significantly affects the formation of various by-products and the resulting gas profiles. It appears that both the formation of various by-products and the fluidization behavior are strongly influenced by nature of the support material used. Additionally, the textural properties of the char such as porosity and surface area were found to be sensitive to variations in operational conditions, including temperature and gas composition. A marked difference in the char structure was observed when the pyrolysis conditions were altered, particularly with changes in heating rates and the atmosphere in which the pyrolysis occurred. This variation underscores the importance of precisely controlling operational parameters to optimize the quality and properties of the char. Moreover, the study of kinetic parameters and reaction mechanisms highlights the crucial role of the chemical composition of the biomass, as well as factors such as the heating rate and the use of oxygen carriers in CLC-biomass systems.

These findings suggest that understanding the intricate interplay between these factors is essential for improving the efficiency of biomass gasification and char utilization. Furthermore, the selection of an appropriate oxygen carrier can significantly influence the reaction rates and the overall performance of the system, making it a critical component in the optimization of biomass conversion technologies.

## ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by a French government grant managed by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche under the OXY3C project of the France 2030-PEPR SPLEEN program, reference ANR-22- PESP-0009.

## References

1. Mendiara T, Adánez-Rubio I, Gayán P, Abad A, de Diego LF, García-Labiano F, Adánez J (2016) Process Comparison for Biomass Combustion: In Situ Gasification-Chemical Looping Combustion (iG-CLC) versus Chemical Looping with Oxygen Uncoupling (CLOU). Energy Tech 4(10):1130-1136

2. Haus J, Goltzsche M, Hartge E-U, Heinrich S, Werther J (2019) Gasification kinetics of lignite char in a fluidized bed of reactive oxygen carrier particles. Fuel 236:166-178