Evaluating tar production via the release of volatile matters for H2-rich syngas production

Tar measurement and calculation is crucial for understanding the in-situ tar elimination and hydrogen-rich syngas production during the biomass gasification process. In this study, the method of evaluating tar production was proposed and studied on a two-stage fixed-bed reactor. Two different groups of oxidized and reduced oxygen carriers were investigated for comparison. The collected tar was tested on a gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) system. The types of the tar were all belonged to aromatic hydrocarbons. The H2 composition in the syngas was over 34% in three reduced-OC conditions. The carbon percentage identified by the GC-MS was at the range of 93.75–95.05 wt%. The average carbon from the char combustion period was 2.85 mmol. The tar yield in the three oxidized-OC conditions was 43 ± 22 mg/g, 53 ± 11 mg/g, and 62 ± 8 mg/g, respectively. The result indicated that the reduced OC had a catalytic effect for increasing the H2 composition in syngas. On the other hand, the oxidized OC influenced the reactions by providing with lattice oxygen. The evaluation of the produced tar was beneficial for a further understanding of the mechanism for producing the H2-rich syngas.