Catalytic gasification of rice hull and other biomass. The general effect of catalyst

Thermochemical decomposition and catalytic conversion of rice hull and some other cellulosic materials in a fluidized bed reactor containing different catalysts as the bed material were studied. The use of catalyst invariably gave gas yields above that of the non-catalyzed gasification process and also changed the product distribution according to the nature of the catalyst. Generally, an acidic catalyst favored the formation of carbon monoxide and olefins while a supported-metal catalyst increased the amounts of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Nickel catalyst yielded as much as 60% hydrogen at a reaction temperature of 650°C. The gas yield and product distribution are mainly decided by the properties of the catalyst and less by the properties of the biomass.