Thermodynamic Analysis and Characterization of Syngas Production by Autothermal Reforming of Biodiesel Byproducts.

As the demand for and production of biodiesel increase exponentially, the utilization of the biodiesel byproducts will be of increasing commercial significance. The autothermal reforming (ATR) of biodiesel byproducts into synthesis gas (syngas) was experimentally studied by using the BASF Pt and Rh/Pt (rhodium/platinum) dual-layer monolith catalyst. A total gaseous carbon yield as high as 98 % was obtained with near-equilibrium concentrations of H₂, CO, CO₂, and CH₄. The optimum operating conditions to produce high yields of syngas with minimal coke formation were also determined to be at atmospheric pressure, a temperature of 750 °C, a steam/carbon (S/C) molar ratio of 3, and an O₂/C molar ratio of 0.1. The Aspen simulation software package was used to calculate the equilibrium product composition for autothermal reforming of biodiesel byproducts on molecular basis. A comparison between the equilibrium and experimental data was made, and the agreement was generally good, indicating that close-to-equilibrium conditions were attained for the selected reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]