Evaluation of Operational Cycles for Long‐Term Run of a Tar Removal Catalytic System

Abstract

Biomass gasification experiments on pilot/demo scales have some issues related to the early deactivation of catalysts during the tar removal step. To avoid this problem, a method was developed in a bench-scale micro activity unit using toluene as tar model compound in order to suppress this effect. The runs were performed with a commercial Pt catalyst supported on Ce-Zr-Al, alternating periods of regeneration and reactivation steps with steam, nitrogen, and hydrogen. The toluene steam reforming using operational cycles in order to reach a long-term run provided useful information for pilot plant studies, mainly reactivation and regeneration procedures. The main concern on tar removal studies by steam reforming is the catalyst deactivation due to the presence of polyaromatic and olefinic compounds on the material pores, which is produced during biomass gasification.