This paper is concerned with a novel combustion technology known as Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC) with inherent ability for CO2 capture. CLC is one of several emerging combustion concepts which also facilitate the post-combustion removal of carbon dioxide. Fuel combustion in CLC takes place in the absence of nitrogen ensuring that the main constituents of the flue gas are CO2 and water vapour which can be easily separated from CO2 by cooling the exhaust gas and removing the condensed liquid water. The CLC process is carried out by cyclic reduction and oxidation of a metallic oxide oxygen carrier that is exchanged between two interconnected reactors. Thus, fuel and air never mix and CO2 does not get diluted by nitrogen. There is no energy penalty associated with CO2 capture in the CLC process, an issue currently restricting application of CO2 capture options from dilute CO2 streams by solvents such as amines, which require substantial energy for regeneration.

The focus of the present paper is on the effects of reaction conditions on the structural and compositional transformations of oxygen carrier particles during repeated redox cycles and the extent by which reaction conditions influence the reactivity, deactivation, sintering, shrinkage and fragmentation of the particles.