Ricerc@Sapienza

The large amount of tar produced along with the syngas during biomass gasification is one of the major obstacle for the diffusion of gasifiers at industrial scale. Catalytic cracking and reforming are the most suitable processes for the transformation of tar into lighter gases. The selection of suitable catalysts is a critical step. The catalysts must own high activity and high resistance to deactivation for coke deposition.

The problem of the production of tar along with syngas in gasification processes limits the diffusion of this technology. In this work, the tar abatement capacity of four bed materials was investigated. The bed materials, namely, activated carbon, aluminum oxide, olive residue char, and pumice stone, listed in order of decreasing surface area, were chosen to investigate their effect on the abatement capacity. Furthermore, the deactivation of these materials with time on stream was measured, and the results were used to develop a kinetic model.

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the residue materials considered as a potential
source for biofuel production in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED), which establishes
that a minimum of 10% biofuels for transport shall be used in every Member State
by 2020, thus promoting advanced biofuel from waste. A high-temperature gasification
technology transforms MSW into a syngas rich in hydrogen and carbon monoxide and
free of tar, char and harmful compounds like dioxins appearing as a promising root for

Waste conversion into valuable chemical products seems to be a good overcoming strategy both for the fossil fuel resources employment and for the current inefficient waste management. The main step related to the production of chemical from waste is its thermochemical conversion via gasification process. Taking into account the variable composition of waste and its high ash amount, among others, the high temperature melting gasifier is the most suitable system for ensuring the required flexibility.

Currently the production of methanol from Refuse Derived Fuel, a derived product of Municipal Solid Waste, can be deemed as an excellent example of circular economy, by representing a promising alternative both to conventional methods of waste disposal and methanol production from fossil resources. High-temperature conversion of waste in syngas is the main step of the Waste-to-Methanol process. Unfortunately, produced syngas does not directly comply with the requirements for methanol synthesis, in that syngas purification and conditioning steps are required.