Investigation on Cu-based oxygen carrier for chemical looping combustion of combustible solid waste

A Cu-based oxygen carrier Cu80Si950 was prepared by mechanical mixing, and the chemical looping combustion (CLC) of graphite, combustible solid waste(CSW) and model compound CH₄ with Cu80Si950 oxygen carrier was studied in a two-stage tubular furnace reaction platform and a thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA), respectively. The experimental results prove that the Cu80Si950 oxygen carrier has a high mechanical strength, excellent reaction and recycle stability, which makes it a promising oxygen carrier for CLC process of CSW. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and strength analyzer have been used to characterize the oxygen carrier of each reaction stages. The results show that the morphology of Cu80Si950 oxygen carrier changes and the crushing strength dereases dramatically after CLC process. However, the Cu80Si950 oxygen carrier after experiencing several loops displays a trend of structural regularization with porous structure on the surface, which keeps the oxygen carrier a constant crushing strength and a greater durability.