The present invention relates to a method for molten metal pyrolysis of hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen gas and carbon. Liquid salt is used to separate produced carbon from the molten metal and to facilitate isolation of produced carbon.

A process for the manufacture of a useful product from synthesis gas having a desired hydrogen to carbon monoxide molar ratio comprises gasifying a first carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass in a gasification zone to produce a first synthesis gas; optionally partially oxidising the first synthesis gas in a partial oxidation zone to generate oxidised synthesis gas; reforming a second carbonaceous feedstock to produce a second synthesis gas, the second synthesis gas having a different hydrogen to carbon ratio from that of the first raw synthesis gas; combining at least a portion of the first synthesis gas and at least a portion of the second synthesis gas in an amount to achieve the desired hydrogen to carbon molar ratio and to generate a combined synthesis gas and subjecting at least part of the combined synthesis gas to a conversion process effective to produce the useful product.

A system and method for processing unconditioned syngas first removes solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), then removes volatile organic compounds (VOC), and then removes at least one sulfur containing compound from the syngas. Additional processing may be performed depending on such factors as the source of syngas being processed, the products, byproducts and intermediate products desired to be formed, captured or recycled and environmental considerations.

A system and method for processing unconditioned syngas first removes solids and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), then removes volatile organic compounds (VOC), and then removes at least one sulfur containing compound from the syngas. Additional processing may be performed depending on such factors as the source of syngas being processed, the products, byproducts and intermediate products desired to be formed, captured or recycled and environmental considerations.

A process for producing syngas that uses the syngas product from a partial oxidation reactor to provide all necessary heating duties, which eliminates the need for a fired heater. Soot is removed from the syngas using a dry filter to avoid a wet scrubber quenching the syngas stream and wasting the high-quality heat. Without the flue gas stream leaving a fired heater, all of the carbon dioxide produced by the reforming process is concentrated in the high-pressure syngas stream, allowing essentially complete carbon dioxide capture.

A process for producing syngas that uses the syngas product from a partial oxidation reactor to provide all necessary heating duties, which eliminates the need for a fired heater. Soot is removed from the syngas using a dry filter to avoid a wet scrubber quenching the syngas stream and wasting the high-quality heat. Without the flue gas stream leaving a fired heater, all of the carbon dioxide produced by the reforming process is concentrated in the high-pressure syngas stream, allowing essentially complete carbon dioxide capture.

An ejector receives steam at a primary inlet and natural gas at a secondary inlet. A computer responds to a signal indicating current in the load of a fuel cell as well as a signal indicating temperature of a steam reformer to move a linear actuator to control a needle that adjusts the size of the steam orifice. Reformate is fed to a separator scrubber which cools the reformate to its dew point indicated by a sensor. From that, a controller generates the fuel/carbon ratio for display and to bias a signal on a line regulating the amount of steam passing through an ejector to the inlet of the reformer. Alternatively, the reformate may be cooled to its dew point by a controllable heat exchanger in response to pressure and temperature signals.

The invention relates to a method and a system for producing a hydrocarbon- and hydrogen-containing gas mixture from plastics, and the use of the system for producing this gas mixture and the use of this gas mixture as a starting material in chemical syntheses or for gas supply.

The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a useful product from carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics, the process comprising the steps of: continuously providing the carbonaceous feedstock of fluctuating compositional characteristics to a gasification zone; gasifying the carbonaceous feedstock in the gasification zone to obtain raw synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the raw synthesis gas from the gasification zone and supplying at least part of the recovered raw synthesis gas to a partial oxidation zone; equilibrating the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the raw synthesis gas in the partial oxidation zone to obtain equilibrated synthesis gas; recovering at least part of the equilibrated synthesis gas from the partial oxidation zone and treating the gas to remove impurities and generate a fine synthesis gas; optionally adjusting the H.sub.2:CO ratio of at least part of the fine synthesis gas to obtain adjusted fine synthesis gas; and converting the optionally adjusted fine synthesis gas into the useful product in a further chemical reaction requiring a usage ratio; wherein the fine synthesis gas H2:CO ratio is below the usage ratio and wherein any optional adjustment of at least part of the fine synthesis gas H.sub.2:CO ratio is effective to increase the H.sub.2:CO ratio in the fine synthesis gas to a level at, nearer to or above the usage ratio; wherein the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the raw synthesis gas fluctuates during operation of the process as a result of the fluctuating compositional characteristics of the carbonaceous feedstock by a percentage of ±x; and the H.sub.2:CO ratio of the equilibrated synthesis gas does not fluctuate during operation of the process or fluctuates during operation of the process as a result of the fluctuating compositional characteristics of the carbonaceous feedstock by a percentage±y, y being a lower percentage than x.

The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a synthetic fuel comprising gasifying a carbonaceous feedstock comprising waste materials and/or biomass to generate a raw synthesis gas; supplying the raw synthesis gas to a primary clean-up zone to wash particulates and ammonia or HCl out of the raw synthesis gas; contacting the synthesis gas in a secondary clean-up zone with a physical solvent for sulphurous materials; contacting the desulphurised raw synthesis gas in a tertiary clean-up zone with a physical solvent for CO.sub.2 effective to absorb CO.sub.2; removing at least part of the absorbed CO.sub.2 in a solvent regeneration stage to recover CO.sub.2 in a form sufficiently pure for sequestration or other use; and supplying the clean synthesis gas to a further reaction train to generate a synthetic fuel.