Catalytic removal of oxygen from biomass-derived syngas

Selective oxygen (O2) removal from wood-derived syngas was investigated over three types of ceria-modified alumina supported metal catalysts (i.e., Pt, Pd, and Cu). Complete O2 removal was observed with the Pt and Pd catalysts at a lower temperature than with the Cu catalyst. Gas hourly space velocity (GHSV) was another critical parameter affecting O2 removal, substantially reducing O2 conversion by all three catalysts at 4000 h−1 or above. The Cu catalyst appeared to be most sensitive to GHSV. Among three catalysts, the Pd catalyst had the best performance on O2 removal. In addition to reaction conditions, CO2 and water vapor in the syngas also influenced O2 removal, both of which had adverse effects on O2 conversion. Stability tests indicated that both Pt and Pd catalysts were quite stable over a 300 h testing period while the Cu catalyst was deactivated after 50 h and regenerated by elevating reaction temperature.