Nickel-based catalysts for tar reduction in biomass gasification

Biomass, regarded as a renewable energy resource, will play an important role for the sustainable development of society, environment and economics. The presence of tar in the gases produced from biomass gasification limits the application of the gaseous products, since the tar can cause blockages, plugging, corrosion and catalyst deactivation. Nickel-based catalysts are known to be effective in biomass gasification for tar reduction to produce synthesis gases because of their comparative lower cost and effective catalytic reactivity. In this paper, several types of nickel-based catalysts reported for biomass gasification are reviewed in relation to their preparation, reaction conditions and stability for the biomass/tar gasification process.