The study investigates biomass chemical looping gasification (BCLG) using nickel smelter slag as an oxygen carrier (OC). Key operating parameters, including reactor temperatures (800–900 °C), OC-to-biomass ratio (OCBR, 4:1–15:1), and steam as a gasification medium, were evaluated in a 5kW_th fluidized bed reactor using pine forest residue. Performance metrics including gas composition and process efficiencies were assessed. OCs were characterized using XRD, BET and SEM-EDS analyses. Optimal performance was achieved at 850 °C, an OCBR (10:1) and a steam-to-biomass ratio (1.4). The gas composition was 38.87 vol% H₂, 19.65 vol% CO, 34.48 vol% CO₂, and 6.61 vol% CH₄, with a product gas yield of 1.24Nm³/kg-biomass. Carbon conversion efficiency was 77.85 %, cold gas efficiency 58.70 %, and levelized cost of fuel was 0.15 €/Nm³ for product gas and 4.55 €/kg for H₂.The results suggest that steam addition significantly enhanced char conversion, improving overall BCLG efficiency. Moreover, nickel smelter slag demonstrated stability, consistent reactivity, and limited sintering behavior.

Biomass Chemical Looping Gasification (BCLG) is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional gasification. The selection of appropriate oxygen carriers (OCs) is crucial for stable BCLG performance. These OCs need to possess high reactivity, selectivity, material strength, and resistance to sintering. The study investigated various OC materials, including industrial wastes (copper, nickel slag, desulphurization, LD, and ladle slags), residential waste (sewage sludge ash), and natural ore (manganese). The evaluation of OCs focused on reactivity, H₂-selectivity, mechanical strength and sintering behaviour. Except for ladle slag, all OC samples exhibited favourable reactivity due to the presence of Fe- and Mn-oxides possessing high oxygen transport capacity (10–17.6%). Nickel slag, manganese ore, and desulphurisation slag displayed notable H₂-selectivity (8.7 to 10.4). It can be attributed to the presence of less-active (lattice) oxygen, limiting strong oxygen agents such as Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, and Mn₂O₃. Moreover, desulphurization slag contained highly selective Ca₂Fe₂O₅, which falls within the partial oxidation zone of the Ellingham diagram. Furthermore, all OC samples exhibited desirable material strength (>20 MPa), suitable for fluidised bed reactors. However, nickel, LD, and ladle slags demonstrated limited sintering with sintering onset temperatures exceeding 963 °C. This limited sintering may be attributed to the absence of iron silicates, iron-bearing aluminium silicates, manganese silicates, and potassium that contributed to the low thermal stability observed in the remaining OCs. Altogether, nickel slag calcined at 1100 °C was identified as the most promising OC material with optimal reactivity, selectivity, material strength, and minimal sintering for BCLG. Overall, this study provides a detailed and scientific methodology for OC selection and can aid future OC development.

Biomass chemical looping gasification (BCLG) offers significant advantages over the conventional biomass gasification process in terms of enhanced gasification efficiency, inherent CO₂ capture, process circularity, and mitigated emissions of pollutants. This review discusses the prevailing status of research and development of BCLG in terms of production of high-quality syngas and negative carbon emissions based on the latest experimental and modelling studies. In particular, the design of the BCLG process and reactors is compared with conventional gasification. This review suggests that the BCLG process could be 10–25 % more efficient than the conventional combustion and gasification system in terms of economical H₂-production cost (3.37 USD/kg H₂-produced) and negative life cycle emissions of CO₂ (−14.58 kg-CO₂e/ kg-H₂ produced). This review has extensively considered the effects of process parameters and oxygen carriers (OCs) on gasification chemistry and reaction engineering during BCLG experiments. More specifically, the properties of OCs have been holistically analysed from technological, economic, and environmental perspectives to screen appropriate and affordable OCs for BCLG. In addition, the state-of-the-art modelling studies on BCLG are compared in terms of thermodynamic equilibrium, kinetics, and integrated processes. Technological challenges and research gaps in experiments and modelling have been highlighted in order to advance the BCLG process for industrial applications. In particular, further experimental work is needed to tackle issues related to stability and deactivation of OCs, fluidisation and circulation, the mechanical strength of OCs, the optimisation of feed conversion, and the integration and management of various thermal reactors. It is also desired to enhance the accuracy of models by incorporating optimisation of integrated processes and a more detailed reaction mechanism. Overall, BCLG is a promising negative emissions technology for renewable energy production, yet more innovative efforts in experimental and modelling studies are imperative to move towards more practical applications.