Steam reforming of biomass-derived organics: Interactions of different mixture components on Ni/Al2O3 based catalysts

•The reaction of mixtures of steam, ethanol, phenol, naphthalene, methanol is studied.•Ni/Al2O3 catalysts allow full steam reforming of these mixtures at T ≥ 873 K.•At T ≤ 873 K tar-like heavy polyalkylphenols form from phenol and alcohols.•Ni/Al2O3 catalysts must be used at high T to avoid tertiary tars formation.

The reaction of steam with ethanol, ethanol + phenol, ethanol + phenol + tetrahydrothiophene, methanol + phenol, methanol + naphthalene and methanol + phenol + naphthalene mixtures in the vapour phase has been studied over catalysts based on Ni/Al2O3. The main conclusion is that Ni-alumina based steam reforming catalysts are effective for steam reforming of phenol and naphthalene even mixed each other and with light alcohols at T > 973 K in the absence of sulphur. However, at lower temperatures and when deactivated by sulphur they may become active catalysts in converting these molecules in a number of polyalkylphenols which represent low-volatility secondary and tertiary tars.

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