Designing Reforming Catalysts to Condition Biomass Derived Syngas

One approach to the efficient thermochemical conversion of biomass to produce liquid fuels using indirect gasification utilizes a catalytic steam reforming process to remove and reform tars to produce clean syngas which additionally maximizes the use of the biomass carbon and hydrogen content. The catalysts used in the steam reforming reactor can comprise a significant portion of the overall process cost to produce biofuels. In order to reduce the catalyst cost and improve the overall fuel synthesis economics, highly active and stable reforming catalysts are required. To achieve this goal, we are using rational catalyst design to understand, design, and synthesize robust, tailor-made catalysts capable of handling biomass-derived impurities such as tars, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and H2S. Emerging reforming catalysts designed by industrial collaborators are also assessed for reforming performance. Results of catalyst design and reforming performance at laboratory and pilot scales are discussed.