Study on the Effects of Tar Reforming and Steam Gasification of Keyaki Bark in Saitama Prefecture

Abstract

Keyaki bark is an abundant untapped resource of biomass in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, for steam gasification and tar reforming. To optimize performance, raw bark underwent demineralization with HCl to remove native metals and calcium impregnation using Ca (OH)2. Gasification experiments were conducted at 900 °C using steam and CO2 as gasifying agents. The tar was reformed in a two-stage metal reactor, resulting in improved syngas yields. Results showed that demineralization enhanced gasification efficiency, producing higher hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) yields compared to untreated samples. Experiments have shown that steam gasification of bark char produced 142% more syngas compared to raw bark, with H2 yield increasing by 86% and CO yield by 250%. Additionally, the two-stage metal tube reactor generated 200% more syngas than raw bark gasification and 24% more than bark char gasification. Therefore, we confirmed the feasibility of using the two-stage metal tube reactor for tar reforming to enhance syngas production in steam gasification processes. Keyaki bark’s high carbon and low ash content make it a promising feedstock for sustainable energy production.