Catalytic Upgrading Biosyngas From a Downdraft Gasifier to Liquid Hydrocarbons

A downdraft gasifier is producing bio-syngas from wood chips and other biomass. The syngas from the gasifier contains about 20% H₂, 19% CO, 12% CO₂, and 49% N₂ if using wood chips as the feedstock. In addition to the gases listed above, the bio-syngas also contains some tars, ammonia, H₂S, and particulates as impurities. Bio-syngas is cleaned prior to CO hydrogenation to liquid fuels. The purpose of this study is to catalytic upgrade synthesis gas to higher hydrocarbons over a supported transition metal catalyst. The effects of the operating variables on the catalytic performance of the catalyst are examined in a fixed bed reactor, and the catalysts have been characterized by physisorption, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques.