Hydrogen-Rich Gas Production from Two-Stage Catalytic Pyrolysis of Pine Sawdust with Nano-NiO/Al2O3 Catalyst

Abstract

Hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis is economically and technologically attractive from the perspectives of energy and the environment. The two-stage catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust for hydrogen-rich gas production is investigated using nano-NiO/Al2O3 as the catalyst at high temperatures. The influences of residence time (0–30 s) and catalytic temperature (500–800 °C) on pyrolysis performance are examined in the distribution of pyrolysis products, gas composition, and gas properties. The results show that increasing the residence time decreased the solid and liquid products but increased gas products. Longer residence times could promote tar cracking and gas-phase conversion reactions and improve the syngas yield, H2/CO ratio, and carbon conversion. The nano-NiO/A12O3 exhibits excellent catalytic activity for tar removal, with a tar conversion rate of 93% at 800 °C. The high catalytic temperature could significantly improve H2 and CO yields by enhancing the decomposition of tar and gas-phase reactions between CO2 and CH4. The increasing catalytic temperature increases the dry gas yield and carbon conversion but decreases the H2/CO ratio and low heating value.

Recent Development of Biomass and Plastic Co-Pyrolysis for Syngas Production

“…Morgan et al [82] observed that longer residence times produced less bio-oil and char and higher syngas and volatile yields. Xu et al [83] studied hydrogen-rich gas production from two-stage catalytic pyrolysis of pine sawdust with Nano-NiO/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. Their results showed that, at longer residence times, the bio-oil and char yields decreased whereas gas yield increased.…”

Surface Modification of NiO‐Al2O3 Nanocomposites using Stearic Acid as a Modifier and their Applications in Self‐cleaning and Removal of Dyes

“…The NiO-Al 2 O 3 nanocomposites thus synthesized have been used for applications such as partial oxidation of methane to syngas, [16] removal of congo red, [17] photocatalysis, [18] oxidation of styrene, [9] and hydrogen rich gas production. [19] Metal oxide nanocomposites have a general tendency to agglomerate due to their high surface energy and high surface to volume ratio. They often do not have suitable surface properties for specific applications, e. g. oil recovery, [20] removal of toxic ions, [21] antibacterial agents, [22] drug delivery, [23] and removal of toxic dyes.…”

“…There are many methods reported for the synthesis of NiO‐Al 2 O 3 nanocomposites, e. g. hydrothermal method, [14,17] sol‐gel method, [15] sol‐gel followed by electrospinning, [18] etc. The NiO‐Al 2 O 3 nanocomposites thus synthesized have been used for applications such as partial oxidation of methane to syngas, [16] removal of congo red, [17] photocatalysis, [18] oxidation of styrene, [9] and hydrogen rich gas production [19] . Metal oxide nanocomposites have a general tendency to agglomerate due to their high surface energy and high surface to volume ratio.…”

Investigating the Catalytic Influence of Boron on Ni-Co/Ca Catalysts for Improved Syngas Generation from Rice Straw Pyrolysis

“…Thermochemical conversions stand out for their cost-effectiveness and the relative maturity of the technology. They excel in decomposing carbonaceous materials, breaking chemical bonds, and harnessing energy efficiently [9,10]. Pyrolysis involves transforming biomass into char, bio-oil, and gases-predominantly carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H 2 ), carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), and methane (CH 4 )-within a high-temperature, oxygen-free environment.…”