Method for the production of particulate carbon products
A method for the production of particulate carbon products in a reactor vessel wherein gas flow between a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port suspends a bed of catalyst-containing particulate material in the vessel and wherein the product is discharged from the vessel by falling from the bed.
1. A method for producing a particulate carbon product comprising:
flowing a gas through an inlet port in a lower section of a reactor vessel having a first cross-sectional area;
passing said gas from the lower section to an upper section of the reactor vessel having a second cross-sectional area, via a middle section having a cross-sectional area smaller than said first and second cross-sectional areas;
flowing said gas through a gas outlet port in the upper section;
using the flow of said gas to support a reaction bed of catalyst-containing particulate material in said upper section;
harvesting a carbon product by allowing it to fall from said upper section into said lower section; and
discharging particulate carbon product from the lower section of the reactor vessel via an outlet port.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the particulate carbon product is prevented from passing through the gas outlet port by means of a gas permeable barrier.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas flow between the gas inlet port and gas outlet port is such that the reaction bed is a fluidised bed.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gas flow between the gas inlet port and gas outlet port is such that the reaction bed is a fixed bed.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein catalyst is introduced into the reactor vessel via the gas inlet port.
6. A method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the inlet gas comprises a carbonaceous gas and the catalyst is entrained therein.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a transition metal.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein catalyst is introduced into the reactor vessel beneath the reaction bed.
9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is introduced into the reactor vessel proximate the reaction bed.
10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the temperature in the reaction bed is between 400 and 900 deg. C.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the temperature in the reaction bed is between 550 and 900 deg. C.
12. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressure within the reaction bed is between 2 and 25 bar.
13. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressure within the reaction bed is between 5 and 20 bar.
14. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pressure within the reaction bed is between 5 and 15 bar.
15. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein inlet gas is introduced into the reactor vessel at an elevated temperature.
16. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein inlet gas is introduced into the reactor vessel via a plurality of gas inlet ports.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16 wherein inlet gas is introduced into the reactor vessel at different temperatures.
18. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein carbon particulate product is discharged through a product outlet port disposed beneath the reaction bed.