Low-Temperature Hydrogen Production from Woody Biomass by Catalytic Decomposition of Pyroligneous Acid over Ni-based Catalysts

Abstract

Renewable biomass has been considered as a promising feedstock for producting clean fuels. The widely used approach to the production of hydrogen from biomass is fast pyrolysis of biomass to bio-oil and catalytic steam reforming of the bio-oil or tis fractions under high temperature. Herein, we present a process for hydrogen production from woody biomass by catalytic decomposition of the main compounds of pyroligneous acid (acetic acid and methanol) in a fixed bed reactorover Ni/Al2O3 catalysts under low temperature of 623K. This suggests that efficient producing hydrogen from woody biomass may be achieved at rather low temperature.