Doni Rahmat Wicakso

31 Agustus 2015

Doctoral Program

Chemical Engineering Department

Gadjah Mada University

Research Title:

Integrated Pyrolysis – Tar Decomposition Process Using Wood Waste and Low Grade Iron Ore

Research Outline:

Among all biomass conversion processes, pyrolysis is one of the promising. As well-known, pyrolysis produce char as main product, tar and gases as by-products containing carbon and energy. In the pyrolysis process, tar Char is main product used as agent of reduction. Tar is an undesirable material caused blockage, corrosion of the downstream equipment, tar aerosol formation and carcinogenic. Therefore , steps should be taken to remove or decompose tar into gas fuel ( syngas ) , H2 and other compounds. There are three ways to remove, it is the physic, catalytic and non - catalytic , but in terms of economic and technical,  catalytic processes is the most promising. Several materials were studied by a number of researchers  as potential catalyst such as Ni, Pt, Rh, and Pd but deactivation of catalyst due to carbon deposition is main problem. The use of low-grade iron ore as the catalyst can be used as an alternative to overcome these problems because the carbon deposits formed can be utilized in the iron - making process as a reduction agent replacing coke.

This study will integrate the process of pyrolysis - tar decomposition using low grade iron ore as catalyst. In addition to the decomposed or reduced tar, low-grade iron ore expected better quality for using directly in iron-making industry.