Support Services for Ceramic Fiber-Ceramic Matrix Composites

The Facility for the Analysis of Chemical Thermodynamics (FACT) computer code was used to calculate the vaporization and condensation behavior of germanium (Ge) and lead (Pb) in coal gasification systems. Since condensation occurs at specific temperatures, the elements can concentrate in deposits that foul or corrode structures within an integrated gasification combined-cycle system or form very small particles that may be sticky in particle filter systems or be difficult to collect in a particulate-control cyclone. The calculations were performed in two steps: (1) vaporization from ash constitutents at 1600C at a system pressure of 22.9 atm and (2) condensation of GeX and PbX components at lower temperatures. The calculations indicate that Ge vaporizes as GeS and GeO and condenses through chemical vapor deposition as solid GeO2, Pb vaporizes primarily as PbS, with some Pb metal, and condenses as PbS as high as 880C for concentrations in the feed of 100 ppm on a mass basis. Although these concentrations would never be expected in the raw fuel, such levels could be reached if by-product dusts are recirculated into the gasifier feed material. Therefore, the calculations are useful in determining the maximum amount of recirculated material that can be allowed in the feed material to prevent formation of condensates at specific temperatures. The calculations also indicate that chlorine in the fuel has little effect on the behavior of Ge, but increases the concentration of vapor phase Pb as PbCl4 at temperatures below 800F, most significantly near 400F, at which temperature approximately 1/10 of the lead may be in the vapor phase as PbCl4. It is expected that this vapor would be collected in the system's scrubber