title: Microwave-induced cracking of pyrolytic tars coupled to microwave pyrolysis for syngas production.
abstract: Herein a new process is proposed to produce a syngas-rich gas fraction (>80vol% H2+CO) from biowaste based on microwave heating within two differentiated steps in order to avoid tars production. The first step consists of the microwave pyrolysis of biowaste induced by a char-based susceptor at 400-800°C; tars, char and syngas-rich gas fractions being produced. The tars are then fed into the second step where a portion of the char from the first step is used as a bed material in a 0.3:1wt% ratio. This bed is heated up by microwaves up to 800°C, allowing thermal cracking of tars and additional syngas (>90vol% H2+CO) being then produced. This new concept arises as an alternative technology to the gasification of biowastes for producing syngas with no need for catalysts or gasifying reagents to minimise tars production.
authors.affiliation: Microwave Process Engineering Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beneroso
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bermúdez
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional del Carbón, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Montes-Morán
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional del Carbón, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arenillas
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional del Carbón, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo, Spain. Electronic address: angelmd@incar.csic.es.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Menéndez
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D018533:Biomass; D002384:Catalysis; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008872:Microwaves; D013638:Tars / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D013638:Tars
keywords: Emerging technologies; Energy consumption; Microwave pyrolysis; Syngas production; Tar reduction