Steam Reforming of High-Concentration Toluene as a Model Biomass Tar Using a Nickel Catalyst Supported on Carbon Black

Soohyun Kim, Sangjun Yoon, Zulqarnain, Jiho Yoo (), Hyuk Im, Sangdo Kim, Donghyuk Chun, Hokyung Choi and Jeonghwan Lim
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Soohyun Kim: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Sangjun Yoon: Clean Fuel Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Zulqarnain: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Jiho Yoo: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Hyuk Im: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Sangdo Kim: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Donghyuk Chun: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Hokyung Choi: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea
Jeonghwan Lim: Clean Air Research Laboratory, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Daejeon 34129, Republic of Korea

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Biomass tar, an inevitable byproduct of biomass pyrolysis and gasification, poses a significant challenge due to its tendency to condense in pipelines, causing clogging and operational issues. Catalytic steam reforming can convert tar into syngas, addressing the tar issue while simultaneously producing hydrogen. However, the reforming catalyst is highly susceptible to deactivation by coking, especially when dealing with highly concentrated polymeric hydrocarbons such as tar. This study focused on enhancing the durability of tar-reforming catalysts. Nickel-based catalysts were prepared using carbon supports known for their high coking resistance, such as carbon black (CB), activated carbon (AC), and low-rank coal (LRC). Their performance was then tested for the steam reforming of high-concentration toluene, a representative tar. All three carbon supports (CB, AC, LRC) showed high catalytic performance with NiMg catalysts at 500 °C. Among them, the mesoporous CB support exhibited the highest stability when exposed to steam, with NiMg on CB (NiMg/CB) remaining stable for long-term continuous operation without any deactivation due to coking or thermal degradation.

Keywords: biomass tar; steam reforming; carbon black; coking; hydrogen (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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