Fe/olivine as primary catalyst in the biomass steam gasification in a fountain confined spouted bed reactor

Unlocking Syngas Synthesis from the Catalytic Gasification of Lignocellulose Pinewood: Catalytic and Pressure Insights

Modern technologies transform biomass into commodity chemicals, biofuels, and solid charcoal, making it appear as a renewable resource rather than organic waste. The effectiveness of Mo, Fe, Co, and Ni metal catalysts was investigated during the gasification of lignocellulosic pinewood. The primary goal was to compare the performance of iron and nickel catalysts in the low- and high-pressure production of syngas from pinewood. This is the first study that has reported high-pressure gasification of pinewood without the use of an external gasifying agent, producing syngas containing hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide along with considerable amounts of methane with or without a catalyst. Also, the same gasification at low pressures was compared. In this study, the iron catalyst produces syngas more efficiently at higher pressure and 800 °C, and contains 43 mol % H2, 22 mol % CO2, 26 mol % CH4, and 8 mol % CO in comparison to the nickel catalyst. High pressure produces a large amount of methane too. The nickel catalyst produces higher syngas at low pressure and 850 °C, and contains 55 mol % H2, 9 mol % CO2, 5 mol % CH4, and 30 mol % CO. Low-pressure gasification produces less amounts of CH4 and CO2. Also, the H2/CO ratio is ∼1.81 using the nickel catalyst at low pressures, which is good for utilizing syngas as a feedstock. These results highlight the importance of catalyst selection, reactor configuration, and operating circumstances in adjusting gasification product composition. The study's findings provide information about optimizing syngas production from pinewood, which is critical for the development of sustainable and efficient energy conversion technologies.

Spotlighting of the role of catalysis for biomass conversion to green fuels towards a sustainable environment: Latest innovation avenues, insights, challenges, and future perspectives

Recently, extensive resources were dedicated to studying how to use catalysis to convert biomass into environmentally friendly fuels. Problems with this technology include the processing of lignocellulosic sources and the development/optimization of novel porous materials as efficient monofunctional and bifunctional catalysts for biomass fuel production. This paper reviews recent advancements in catalysts procedures. Besides, it offers assessments of the methods used in catalytic biomass pyrolysis. Understanding the catalytic conversion process of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil remains a key research challenge in biomass catalytic pyrolysis.

Application of Fe Based Composite Catalyst in Biomass Steam Gasification to Produce Hydrogen Rich Gas

A series of composite catalysts with different Fe-based load amounts were prepared and applied to the experiment of biomass gasification assisted by steam. The structure of the catalyst was analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM, N₂ adsorption-desorption, and H₂-TPR. The effect of the change of Fe load amounts on the catalytic activity was studied, and the optimal conditions of the gasification reaction were selected. The relationship between catalyst structure and catalytic capacity was clarified. The results showed that under the optimal reaction conditions, the catalyst showed better catalytic activity when Fe load amounts were 10%. The proportion of hydrogen in the gasification gas is as high as 42.2% and the hydrogen production is 27.65 g/kg. The tar content reaches the lowest value of 34.07g/Nm³.

The Utilisation of Solid Fuels Derived from Waste Pistachio Shells in Direct Carbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The comprehensive results regarding the physicochemical properties of carbonaceous materials that are obtained from pistachio shells support their usage as solid fuels to supply direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells (DC-SOFCs). The influence of preparation conditions on variations in the chemical composition, morphology of the biochar powders, and degree of graphitization of carbonaceous materials were investigated. Based on structural investigations (X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy), it was observed that disordered carbon particles developed during the application of thermal treatments. The use of X-ray fluorescence enabled a comparative analysis of the chemical composition of the inorganic matter in biocarbon-based samples. Additionally, the gasification of carbonaceous-based samples vs. time at a temperature of 850 °C was investigated in a H2O or CO2 gas atmosphere. The analysis demonstrated the conversion rate of biochar obtained from pistachio shells to H2, CH4 and CO during steam gasification. The electrochemical investigations of the DC-SOFCs that were supplied with biochars obtained from pistachio shells were characterized by satisfactory values for the current and power densities at a temperature range of 700-850 °C. However, a higher power output of the DC-SOFCs was observed when CO2 was introduced to the anode chamber. Therefore, the impact of the Boudouard reaction on the performance of DC-SOFCs was confirmed. The chars that were prepared from pistachio shells were adequate for solid fuels for utilization in DC-SOFCs.