Novel redox based systems for fuel and chemical production with in-situ CO.sub.2 capture are provided. A redox system using one or more chemical intermediates is utilized in conjunction with liquid fuel generation via indirect Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, direct hydro genation, or pyrolysis. The redox system is used to generate a hydrogen rich stream and/or CO.sub.2 and/or heat for liquid fuel and chemical production. A portion of the byproduct fuels and/or steam from liquid fuel and chemical synthesis is used as part of the feedstock for the redox system.

The present disclosure is directed to methods using durable functional materials for processes that include an oxidation step. The durable functional materials are redox active oxygen carrier materials that include a zirconia or yttria-stabilized-zirconia (YSZ) matrix containing a redox-active metal ion(s), such as, but not limited to Fe, Mn, Cu, Co and Cr. In an embodiment, these materials are used in chemical looping processes.

An oxygen carrier (OC) for use in Chemical Looping technology with Oxygen Uncoupling (CLOU) for the combustion of carbonaceous fuels, in which commercial grade metal oxides selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, and Co oxides and mixtures thereof constitute a primary oxygen carrier component. The oxygen carrier contains, at least, a secondary oxygen carrier component which is comprised by low-value industrial materials which already contain metal oxides selected from the group consisting of Cu, Mn, Co, Fe, Ni oxides or mixtures thereof. The secondary oxygen carrier component has a minimum oxygen carrying capacity of 1 g of O.sub.2 per 100 g material in chemical looping reactions. Methods for the manufacture of the OC are also disclosed.

An optimized gasification/vitrification processing system having a gasification unit which converts organic materials to a hydrogen rich gas and ash in communication with a joule heated vitrification unit which converts the ash formed in the gasification unit into glass, and a plasma which converts elemental carbon and products of incomplete combustion formed in the gasification unit into a hydrogen rich gas.

A process for processing carbonaceous material, the process comprising delivering a carbonaceous material to a first reactor zone; delivering a catalyst to the first reactor zone; processing the carbonaceous material within the first reactor to decompose and/or devolatilise at least a portion of the carbonaceous material; delivering an output from the first reactor to a secondary reactor; the secondary reactor having a higher temperature than the first reactor.

A system for converting fuel is provided and includes a first reactor comprising a plurality of ceramic composite particles, the ceramic composite particles comprising at least one metal oxide disposed on a support, wherein the first reactor is configured to reduce the at least one metal oxide with a fuel to produce a reduced metal or a reduced metal oxide; a second and reactor configured to oxidize at least a portion of the reduced metal or reduced metal oxide from the said first reactor to produce a metal oxide intermediate; a source of air; and a third reactor communicating with said source of air and configured to regenerate the at least one metal oxide from the remaining portion of the solids discharged from the said first reactor and the solids discharged from the said second reactor for by oxidizing the metal oxide intermediate.

A method for producing an oxygen carrying material may include forming a mixture that includes powders of active mass precursor, support material precursor, and inert structure precursor, and producing the oxygen carrying material by heating the mixture at a temperature of greater than 1300 C. for a time sufficient to sinter the inert structure pre-cursor to form a high-strength inert structure. The inert structure precursor may be one or more refractory ceramic components.

The disclosure provides a metal ferrite oxygen carrier for the chemical looping combustion of solid carbonaceous fuels, such as coal, coke, coal and biomass char, and the like. The metal ferrite oxygen carrier comprises MFe.sub.xO.sub.y, where MFe.sub.xO.sub.y is a chemical composition with 1.5x2.5 and 3.5y4.5 and M is one of Ca, Ba, and combinations thereof. For example, MFe.sub.xO.sub.y may be one of CaFe.sub.2O.sub.4, BaFe.sub.2O.sub.4, MgFe.sub.2O.sub.4. SrFe.sub.2O.sub.4 and combinations thereof. Mixing of the metal ferrite oxygen carrier and the solid carbonaceous fuel generates a product stream comprising at least 50 vol. % CO and H.sub.2. The MFe.sub.xO.sub.y may be supported on an inert support. In an embodiment, the MFe.sub.xO.sub.y comprises at least 30 wt. % of the metal ferrite oxygen carrier the inert support when present comprises from about 5 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of the metal ferrite oxygen carrier.

A method for chemical looping includes the steps of introducing a fuel and an oxygen carrier to a reducer, wherein in the reducer the fuel reacts with the oxygen carrier to produce a gas containing a sulfur-containing species, within the reducer, capturing the sulfur-containing species with the oxygen carrier, transporting the oxygen carrier with the sulfur-containing species to an oxidizer, within the oxidizer, releasing the sulfur-containing species via an oxidation reaction, within the oxidizer, recapturing the sulfur-containing species with the oxygen carrier, and transporting the oxygen carrier with the sulfur-containing species back to the reducer. The oxygen carrier is a blend comprising at least one metal oxide and at least one calcium-containing species.

A method for chemical looping includes the steps of circulating a first oxygen carrier between a first oxidizer and a first reducer, circulating a second oxygen carrier between a second oxidizer and a second reducer, transporting a first gas stream produced via a reduction reaction in the first reducer from the first reducer to the second reducer, within the second reducer, capturing a gas species from the first gas stream, and recycling the gas species to the first reducer.