Advance strategies for tar elimination from biomass gasification techniques

Abstract Tar is an unwanted complex organic compound that has a molecular weight higher than benzene. Usually, tar is produced during gasification process during the pyrolysis stage of carbonaceous materials. Higher concentrations of tar in produced gas can cause choking and damage to the downstream equipment. The operation parameters of gasification are affected by the formation of tar. There are two main methods for tar rejection from the gaseous stream: mechanical and chemical tar reforming using catalysts. Both methods have pros and cons, in mechanical tar removal, however, the tar is only physically removed or separated from the gas, while in the catalytic tar reforming process, tar content reduces along with the gaseous stream, thus enhancing the quality of fuel gas. In conclusion, the catalytic tar reforming is more effective, while the implementation of catalysts in the gasification process on large-scale faces economic challenges.