Investigation of Pyrolysis/Gasification Process Conditions and Syngas Production with Metal Catalysts Using Waste Bamboo Biomass: Effects and Insights

The primary objective of this study was to examine the catalytic behaviors exhibited by diverse metal catalysts such as CaO, NiO, and K2CO3 for pyrolysis and gasification application with waste biomass. The investigation involved fine tuning the conditions of pyrolysis/gasification by optimizing the pyrolysis atmosphere, catalyst addition methods, and catalyst quantities. The behaviors were investigated using thermal analysis (TG-DTA), and the production gaseous contents were analyzed via GC-FID. The results showed that Ar gas proved to be well suited for the pyrolysis reaction. The incorporation of catalysts through mixing and impregnation techniques ensured the homogeneous dispersion of catalyst particles within the sample, offering a clear advantage over the two-stage approach. Among the various catalysts explored, K2CO3 demonstrated the most favorable catalytic impact, resulting in an enhancement of char yield from 20.2 to 26.8%, while the tar yield was reduced from 44.3 to 38.6%. Furthermore, the presence of K during gasification reactions was found to foster accelerated reaction rates and an increase in syngas production yield.