Catalytic gasification of automotive shredder residues with hydrogen generation

Hydrogen is a clean and new energy carrier to generate power through the Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) system. Hydrogen can be effectively turned out through the catalytic gasification of organic material such as automotive shredder residues (ASR). The main objective of this manuscript is to present an analysis of the catalytic gasification of ASR for the generation of high-purity hydrogen in a lab-scale fixed-bed downdraft gasifier using 15 wt.% NiO/Al2O3 catalysts at 760–900 K. In the catalytic gasification process, reduction of Ni(II) catalyst into Ni(0) has been confirmed through XANES spectra and consequently EXAFS data shows that the central Ni atoms have Ni–O and Ni–Ni bonds with bond distances of 2.03 ± 0.05 and 2.46 ± 0.05 Å, respectively. ASR is partially oxidized and ultimately converts into hydrogen rich syngas (CO and H2) and increases of the reaction temperature are favored the generation of hydrogen with decomposition of the CO. As well, approximately 220 kg h−1 of ASR would be catalytically gasified at 760–900 K and 46.2 atm with the reactor volume 0.27 m3 to obtain approximately 3.42 × 105 kcal h−1 of thermal energy during over 87% syngas generation with the generation of 100 kW electric powers.