Regenerability of a Ni catalyst in the catalytic steam reforming of biomass pyrolysis volatiles

Abstract

A study has been carried out of the regenerability of a commercial Ni catalyst used in the steam reforming of the volatiles from biomass pyrolysis (gases and bio-oil), determining the evolution of the reaction indices (conversion, product yields and H2 production) in successive reaction–regeneration cycles. The causes of catalyst deactivation (coke deposition and Ni sintering) have been ascertained characterizing the deactivated and regenerated catalysts by TPO, TEM, TPR and XRD. Catalyst activity is not fully recovered by coke combustion in the first cycles due to the irreversible deactivation by Ni sintering, but the catalyst reaches a pseudo-stable state beyond the fourth cycle, reproducing its behaviour in subsequent cycles.