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Title: Commercial steam reforming catalysts to improve biomass gasification with steam-oxygen mixtures. 2: Catalytic tar removal

Journal Article · · Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ie9706727· OSTI ID:655525
; ; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Saragossa (Spain). Chemical and Environmental Engineering Dept.
  2. Univ. Complutense of Madrid (Spain). Chemical Engineering Dept.

Eight different commercial catalysts, nickel based, for steam reforming of naphthas and of natural gas are tested in biomass gasification for hot gas cleanup and conditioning. They were manufactured by BASF AG, ICI-Katalco, UCI, and Haldor Topsoee a/s. The catalysts were tested in a slip flow after a biomass gasifier of fluidized bed type at small pilot-plant scale (10--20 kg of biomass/h). The gasifying agent used is steam-oxygen mixtures. A guard bed containing a calcined dolomite is used to decrease the tar content in the gas at the inlet of the catalytic bed. Main variables studied are catalyst type, bed temperature, H{sub 2}O + O{sub 2} to biomass feed ratio, and time-on-stream. All catalysts for reforming of naphthas show to be very active and useful for tar removal and gas conditioning (in biomass gasification). 98% tar removal is easily obtained with space velocities of 14,000 h{sup {minus}1} (n.c.). No catalysts deactivation is found in 48 h-on-stream tests when the catalyst temperature is relatively high (780--830 C). Using a simple first-order kinetic model for the overall tar removal reaction, apparent energies of activation (of around 58 kJ/mol) and preexponential factors are obtained for the most active catalysts.

OSTI ID:
655525
Journal Information:
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, Vol. 37, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: Jul 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English