Development of Nickel-loaded Ccatalysts from Microwave-treated Woody Biomass for Decomposition of Biomass Tar

Abstract

This study focused on the development of an effective Ni-loaded catalyst using woody biomass for tar decomposition. Microwave irradiation was utilized to heat biomass for catalyst preparation. The amount of Ni adsorbed on biomass was 9.0 wt%. Thermal treatment of the nickel-loaded biomass at 600 °C resulted in a fine dispersion of nickel particles with a diameter of approximately 4.5 nm. The catalytic activity of the prepared catalyst for the decomposition of biomass tar derived from Japanese cypress was investigated in a two-stage fixedbed reactor. The nickel-loaded char showed high activity for tar decomposition at a relatively low temperature of 600 °C. The yields of H₂, CO, and total gas obtained with the nickel-loaded char were approximately 5.2, 2.8, and 3.5, respectively, times higher than those obtained without a catalyst.