Examination of catalytic roles of inherent metallic species in steam reforming of nascent volatiles from the rapid pyrolysis of a brown coal

In-situ steam reforming of tar from the rapid pyrolysis of a Victorian brown coal was studied, employing a single-stage drop-tube reactor and a particular type of two-stage reactor, in which the nascent tar underwent steam reforming and thermal cracking in the presence and absence of nascent char particles, respectively. Na was the most abundant inherent metallic species contained in the coal, and a significant proportion of Na (60–80%) was volatilized during the pyrolysis. However, the Na dispersed in the vapor phase seemed to have no significant catalytic effect on the steam reforming. Na, and/or Ca remaining on the surface of char particles were responsible for rapid and extensive steam reforming of the nascent tar into gases, resulting in tar yield decrease by nearly 90%. The presence of steam alone was effective for suppressing soot formation from the tar vapor by approx. 80%, but in the absence of char particles containing metallic species, the addition of steam led to an increase in the yield of poly-nuclear aromatics.