Hydrogen-rich syngas production from pyrolysis and gasification of palmitic fibers

Pyrolysis and gasification are two attractive processes for converting pre-dried palmitic fibers (PF) into valuable gaseous products with high effectiveness and little environmental impact. The gasification and pyrolysis of pre-dried PF were conducted independently, using two different laboratory-scale fixed-bed reactors. The key properties of produced biofuels - and mainly of gaseous ones - obtained from both thermochemical processes have been investigated. The raw material characterization reveals that the pre-dried PF are suitable feedstock for thermochemical conversion and mainly for syngas production. The reactor temperature distribution was between 600 and 1000°C for gasification process and between 400 and 600°C for pyrolysis. Gasification and pyrolysis of pre-dried PF produce high-quality combustible gases (syngas), formed mainly of CO, H₂, CO₂, N₂, CH₄ and C_nH_m, that can be used either as a fuel to produce heat and power or as an intermediate in the production of liquid fuels and chemicals. However, the syngas specifications requested for most of these applications require important upgrading operations that enhance considerably the energy efficiency.