Two Step Water Decomposition Process for Hydrogen Production in a Fluidized Bed Reactor

The material used for hydrogen production was hematite (Fe2O3) and the transitional metal ferrites of Mn-Fe2O4 and Zn-Fe2O4. It is found that Fe2O3 has the highest reduction conversion with increasing temperature whereas Mn-Fe2O4 and Zn-Fe2O4 are found to have the low oxidation temperature below 800°C in thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA). The two step water decomposition was carried out in a fluidized bed reactor where the optimum operating conditions can be maintained in the bubbling fluidized bed state. To prevent particle agglomeration and improve fluidization quality, sand particles were added in the bed as an inert medium that improve the fluidization quality significantly at the weight ratio of Fe2O3/sand below 0.5.