Gasification via the steam reforming of straw black liquor (BL) was performed in a pilot-plant
fluidized bed reactor. The effects of bed material replacement (from an initial bed of calcium
carbonate to a bed composed of BL char) and bed temperature (575−640 °C) on the dry gas
composition, the dry gas lower heating value (LHV), gas yield, fraction of carbon to gas, and cold
gas efficiency have been investigated. Although bed defluidization problems were experienced
under the operating conditions tested, a medium heating value gas (with a dry gas LHV of ∼8200
kJ/m3 STP) (where STP indicates standard temperature and pressure) was obtained, composed
mainly of H2 (65 vol %) and CO2 (30 vol %). Because of the high ratio of steam to biomass used,
little influence of the reaction temperature on the gas composition was observed at >550 °C. At
600 °C, which is a temperature lower than that usually utilized in biomass gasification, ∼2.2 m3
STP/kg daf of gas production, 75% carbon conversion to gas, and a cold gas efficiency of 90%
were achieved, showing that the low-temperature steam reforming of BL could be a suitable
process if bed defluidization can be overcome.