Partial Oxidation

Partial oxidation, or POX, is a process that produces hydrogen-rich synthesis gas by combusting a fuel-air mixture with less oxygen than complete combustion requires, mixing natural gas or heavy hydrocarbon fuel with a restricted amount of oxygen in an exothermic reaction inside a reformer. The resulting syngas, containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen, can then be used directly in applications such as fuel cells. Two main variants exist: thermal partial oxidation, run at 1,200 degrees Celsius or higher with no catalyst, and catalytic partial oxidation, which uses a catalyst to lower the required temperature to 800 to 900 degrees Celsius; the choice between the two depends mainly on the sulfur content of the fuel being processed.