Nickel supported on modified olivine catalysts for steam reforming of biomass gasification tar

Nickel-on-modified olivine (Ni/MO) catalysts were developed for tar steam reforming in biomass gasification. The modified olivine (MO) was prepared by moulding olivine powder with calcium aluminate cement followed by calcination. The Ni/MO catalysts were prepared by wet impregnation. It was found that calcination temperature of Ni/MO catalyst significantly influenced its catalytic behavior. The Ni/MO catalyst calcined at 900 degrees C exhibited higher activity and better resistance to coking in steam reforming of benzene compared with the conventional Ni/olivine catalyst. This result was attributed to the modified pore structure of the MO and the moderate Ni-MO interaction. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.