Progress of Cryogenics and Isotopes Separation , ISSN: 1582-2575
2014, Volume 17, Issue 2

Use of Iron-Based Catalysts to Increase the Efficiency of Catalytic Conversion Processes of Residual Biomass

Abstract

The aim  of this work is to identify an appropriate catalyst that can be used as an active in-bed material for removal of biomass tar to increase the efficiency during  thermochemical processing. Novel nano char-supported iron catalysts were prepared, tested for the steam reforming of biomass tar and compared with ilmenite catalyst. The activity ofhe r mstion.ts examined  char-supported iron  catalysts  on the steam reforming of tar was investigated under different operational conditions.The experimental data show that this catalyst had activity for reforming tar with steam. Tar was mainly converted into coke on the iron carbon catalyst at low temperature, whereas it was primarily reformed into gas on ilmenite at high temperature. NOx precursors were destructed effectively on the char-supported iron catalyst during the steam reforming process and the iron-containing species in the catalyst played an important role in the decomposition of NOx precursors. The specific reactivity of the char-supported iron catalyst changed significantly after the steam reforming at different temperatures because of the changes in the properties of the char and the iron-containing species in the catalyst.