Comparison of steam reforming of biomass gasification tars over Lithuanian dolomite and waste tires char

Abstract

Gasification of biomass and different types of waste now is considered as one of most perspective ways for production of heat and electricity. It is necessary to clean the synthesis gas from tar and soot particles in order to use it in turbines and micro turbines, internal combustion engines for electricity production, chemical reactors for synthetic fuel or chemicals production. The main objective of this work is investigation of catalytic tar destruction in order to evaluate two selected catalysts, namely dolomite, available in Lithuanian as natural resource, and char derived from pyrolysis of used tires. The efficiency of these catalysts were investigated as an ability to decompose tar hydrocarbons at high temperatures and optimal process conditions were determined, which are base starting point for developing new functional material and technological solutions. Results of catalytic steam reforming of two main tar compounds from biomass gasification – benzene and naphthalene – are presented in this article. Tar destruction was performed in fixed bed reactor changing temperature from 700°C to 900°C with constant steam volume. It was determined that thermal destruction of benzene is most intensive using dolomite as a catalyst, and destruction of naphthalene – using activated carbon at 900°C. At those conditions benzene concentration in resulting gases decreased from 47.00±3.59 down to 3.80±0.28 g/m3, naphthalene – from 14.40±0.95 down to 0.027±0.003g/m3. Results of the research were compared with result of other authors who used dolomite from various countries of origin and char from biomass pyrolysis for tar destruction.