Catalytic pyrolysis of liquor-industry waste: Product and mechanism analysis

The effects of three catalysts, namely Ni/γ-Al₂O₃, Fe/γ-Al₂O₃, and Mg/γ-Al₂O₃, on the three-phase products of liquor-industry waste pyrolysis were investigated in this study. Results indicated that the catalytic performance of Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ outperformed those of Fe/γ-Al₂O₃ and Mg/γ-Al₂O₃ significantly. The application of Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ facilitated the reformation of pyrolysis volatiles, leading to increased yields of H₂ (174.1 mL/g), CH₄ (80.7 mL/g), and CO (88.2 mL/g) by 980.00 %, 133.24 %, and 83.37 %, respectively. compared to catalyst-free conditions. The Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ also increased the low-level calorific value of biogas by 109.3 % compared to that under non-catalyst conditions. Moreover, Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ enhanced the relative concentrations of hydrocarbons in tar by 23.15 % while reducing the relative concentrations of O-species by 15.73 % compared to catalyst-free conditions through induced deoxygenation, decarboxylation, decarbonylation reactions as well as efficient steam reforming processes for tar and syngas upgrading purposes. Thus, incorporating Ni/γ-Al₂O₃ into the pyrolysis process represents a renewable approach for waste-to-energy conversion.