In chemical processes that generate synthesis gas from fossil or biomass feedstock, partial oxidation has been proven to be an important pivotal gas­ification reaction. The partial oxidation has several inherent merits, namely,

1. The reaction rate is very fast.

2. The reaction irreversibly proceeds over a very wide range of temperatures.

3. The reaction generates exothermic heat, which helps sustain the sys­tem’s energy balance.

4. The reaction is universally and nearly equally efficient on all hydro­carbon molecules of widely different carbon numbers.

5. Partial oxidation of hydrocarbons generates hydrogen and carbon monoxide as principal product species, which are major components of synthesis gas product.

6. The partial oxidation reaction is an excellent companion reaction to many other chemical reactions, including steam gasification, steam reformation, and Boudouard reaction among others.

7. If partial oxidation is properly used in conjunction with other gas­eous reactions, synergistic effects can result in (i) efficient process energy management including an autothermal operation, (ii) higher gas yield or higher gasification efficiency, (iii) higher conversion of carbon, (iv) tailormade gas composition or control of H2/CO ratio in syngas, (v) reduction of char formation or resistance against coking, (vi) tar reduction, and more.

Most advanced coal gasification processes such as the Texaco gasifier and Shell gasifier utilize partial oxidation of coal as a principal reaction [5]. The reaction is often carried out in the copresence of steam, which gets involved in steam gasification as well as the water gas shift (WGS) reaction as:

1

C(s) + ^ O2 ^ CO

C(s) + H2O ^ CO + H2 CO + H2O ~ CO2 + H2

If partial oxidation is poorly managed or improperly designed, an unnec­essarily high extent of complete combustion of hydrocarbons can take place resulting in a large amount of carbon dioxide, thereby wasting the useful heating value of feedstock hydrocarbons as well as increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) formation even without subjecting the fuel to useful end-uses.