Advancing hydrogen production: The synergy of pretreatment and boron catalysts

This study evaluates the production of hydrogen-rich synthesis gas from the energy crop Miscanthus x giganteus and municipal wastewater treatment sludge. The effects of biomass pretreatment, gasification conditions (temperature, catalyst content, and catalyst-to-biomass ratio), and hydrogen yield were investigated. Both catalytic and non-catalytic biomass steam gasification methods were explored. Catalytic biomass steam gasification employed a newly developed catalyst using boron-supported alkali-based materials and biomass feedstock, aiming to achieve a higher hydrogen gas composition in the product gas compared to non-catalytic steam gasification. The composition of syngas produced by biomass steam gasification was analyzed to determine the H2 and CO components, as well as other gas byproducts. The optimization study, utilizing the Box-Behnken Design, identified parameters influencing H2 generation and the catalytic impact on gasification efficiency. In catalytic gasification experiments using hydrochar derived from miscanthus as the model biomass, optimal conditions for H2 concentration were found to be 900 degrees C, 10.0 % boron content, and a biomass-to-catalyst ratio of 0.65. The results demonstrated a hydrogen content of 62.88 % in the product gas, highlighting the significant role of the catalyst in tar removal.