Mini Review of Catalytic Reactive Flash Volatilization of Biomass for Hydrogen-Rich Syngas Production

Abstract

While the global energy demand is estimated to increase, the energy supply has to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy to reduce CO 2 emissions to avoid the consequences of climate change. Hydrogen produced from renewable resources can play a vital role as a sustainable energy carrier. Among several routes of H 2 production, thermochemical conversion of biomass into hydrogen has been gaining much interest. Catalytic steam gasification via reactive flash volatilization (RFV) technology is a proven method for producing tar-free hydrogen-rich syngas from a range of biomass at relatively low temperatures (<900 °C) in a single-step millisecond residence time reactor. Here, we review the recent literature and evaluate the economic prospects of catalytic RFV gasification of different biomass. The performance of RFV has been compared to other types of gasification technologies based on the data available in the published literature. Parameters affecting RFV performance include the temperature, steam and oxygen supply, catalyst, and biomass type. A higher temperature and steam/carbon ratio was favorable for the hydrogen yield, whereas the optimal carbon/oxygen ratio was required to achieve a high quality and yield of syngas. Ni-based catalysts were found to be excellent for steam reforming of tar, C 2 compounds and methane; and water gas shift reactions, regardless of the biomass used. Techno-economic factors affecting the cost of hydrogen were process efficiency, cost of biomass, scale of the plant, carbon tax, capital cost, and location-specific factors, such as cost of labor and utility.

Review and Outlook of Hydrogen Production through Catalytic Processes

“…10 methods. 11 The thermochemical process includes pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction, and this process is gaining attention for producing hydrogen, while biological hydrogen production has low production rates and is difficult to scale up. 12 Another renewable resource for hydrogen production is water, and the water-splitting process is gaining attention worldwide because this process is eco-friendly and produces green hydrogen.…”

“…Hence, biomass holds promise as a viable feedstock resource for the production of hydrogen . At present, biomass-based hydrogen production technology mainly includes thermochemical and biological methods . The thermochemical process includes pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction, and this process is gaining attention for producing hydrogen, while biological hydrogen production has low production rates and is difficult to scale up .…”

Effects of Different Ni-Fe/Ni Foam Catalysts on In Situ Preparation of CNTs@Ni Foam Electrode Materials and H2 during Steam Reforming of Pyrrole

“…Steam reforming reaction is widely used to prepare hydrogen, such as steam reforming of methane, ethanol, toluene, and so forth. − In addition, the catalysts play an important role in the hydrogen yield and reaction stability. Ni-based catalysts are commonly used in consideration of reforming efficiency and cost. − Meanwhile, carbon deposition is also generated, which would cause the deactivation of the catalyst. − It was found that carbon deposition consisted of different types of materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and amorphous carbon, and the self-growth of CNTs could suppress the deactivation process. , By controlling the conditions, the co-production of CNTs and hydrogen could be promoted. Besides, the produced CNTs have significant potential for applications in electrodes, catalysts, and sensors, which would improve the additional value of products. , Thus, the co-production of hydrogen and CNTs was proposed during the reforming reaction.…”

Solar-Driven Photothermal Catalytic Lignocellulosic Biomass-to-H2 Conversion

“…At present, driven by global warming and increasing demand for energy, the expansion of renewable energy including biomass, hydropower, wind, and solar energy as alternatives to fossil fuels is essential in constructing a sustainable society. , Among these renewable energy sources, biomass recognized as a renewable carbon reservoir and the fourth largest resource which have attracted substantial interest owing to its short regeneration periods, huge production, and wide distribution. , It has been known that the biomass comprised animal and vegetal resources represented by green plants, animal, and domestic wastes, and the most biomass existed in the form of lignocelluloses with an annual production over 1.7 × 10 14 kg . Nowadays, some novel strategies such as valorization, enzymatic hydrolysis, and thermocatalysis have been developed to convert lignocellulosic biomass into chemical fuels or high value-added chemicals, − but those methods were limited by high energy consumption, complex product composition, and high product purification costs. Thus, exploring green strategies for the utilization of lignocellulosic biomass remains a great challenge.…”