Finding resilient refractory materials for slagging gasification systems have the potential to reduce costs and improve the overall plant availability by extending the service life. In this study, different refractory materials were evaluated under slagging gasification conditions. Refractory probes were continuously exposed for up to 27 h in an atmospheric, oxygen blown, entrained flow gasifier fired with a mixture of bark and peat powder. Slag infiltration depth and microstructure were studied using SEM EDS. Crystalline phases were identified with powder XRD. Increased levels of Al, originating from refractory materials, were seen in all slags. The fused cast materials were least affected, even though dissolution and slag penetration could still be observed. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations were done for mixtures of refractory and slag, from which phase assemblages were predicted and viscosities for the liquid parts were estimated.

Pressurized entrained-flow gasification (PEFG) of bark and a bark/peat mixture (BPM) was carried out in a pilot scale reactor (600 kW(th), 7 bar(a)) with the objective of studying ash transformations and behaviors. The bark fuel produced a sintered but nonflowing reactor slag, while the BPM fuel produced a flowing reactor slag. Si was enriched within these slags compared to their original fuel ash compositions, especially in the bark campaign, which indicated extensive ash matter fractionation. Thermodynamically, the Si contents largely accounted for the differences in the predicted solidus/liquidus temperatures and melt formations of the reactor slags. Suspension flow viscosity estimations were in qualitative agreement with observations and highlighted potential difficulties in controlling slag flow. Quench solids from the bark campaign were mainly composed of heterogeneous particles resembling reactor fly ash particles, while those from the BPM campaign were flowing slags with likely chemical interactions with the wall refractory. Quench effluents and raw syngas particles were dominated by elevated levels of K that, along with other chemical aspects, indicated KOH(g) and/or K(g) were likely formed during PEFG. Overall, the results provide information toward development of woody biomass PEFG and indicate that detailed understanding of the ash matter fractionation behavior is essential.