Hazelnut Shell to Hydrogen-Rich Gaseous Products via Catalytic Gasification Process

The gasification of biomass is a thermal treatment, which results in a high production of gaseous products and small quantities of char and ash. Steam reforming of hydrocarbons, partial oxidation of heavy oil residues, selected steam reforming of aromatic compounds, and gasification of coals and solid wastes to yield a mixture of H₂ and CO (syngas), followed by a water-gas shift reaction to produce H₂ and CO₂, are well-established processes. The samples, both untreated and impregnated with a catalyst, were pyrolyzed and gasified at 770, 925, 975, and 1025 K, and 975, 1075, 1175, and 1225 K temperatures, respectively. K₂CO₃ was used as a catalyst, 10.0, 20.0, 30.0, and 50.0 wt% of the shell sample, in the catalytic-pyrolysis runs. The ratios of water-to-hazelnut shell were 0.7 and 1.9 in steam gasification runs. The total volume and the yield of gas from both pyrolysis and gasification increase with increasing temperature. The highest hydrogen-rich gas yield was obtained from the catalytic gasification run (water/hazelnut shell = 1.9) at 1225 K.