Hydrogen generation by gasification of pig hair biowaste over NiO/Al2O3 nanocatalyst

Abstract

Over one thousand tons of pig hair biowaste (PHB) are produced yearly in Taiwan. The improper disposal of PHB can have a negative impact on the environment, consequently contributing to the spread of diseases. Hydrogen gas can be effectively produced by the catalytic gasification of PHB using a laboratory-scale fixed-bed gasifier, employing 15 wt% NiO/Al2O3 catalysts at 753–913 K. The derived kinetic parameters were obtained and refined using simulation calculations. The central Ni atoms have Ni–O (2.01) and Ni–Ni (2.34) bond distances in the fresh NiO/Al2O3 catalyst. The PHB was converted into hydrogen-rich syngas (CO + H2, >89.8% dry basis). When PHB (250 kg/h) was catalytically gasified at 753–913 K, syngas was produced at approximately 5.45 × 105 kcal/h of heat recovery with 76.5%–83.5% cold gas efficiency. The simulation of the pilot-scale PHB catalytic gasification demonstrated that the system can provide hydrogen (purity >99.99%) and generate electricity for an internal combustion engine of 100 kW and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell of 175 kW. A projected payback for a PHB catalytic gasification plant with a capacity of 10- or 20-ton per day was around 3.2 or 2.5 years, respectively.