Hydrogen-rich syngas production via two-stage co-gasification of biomass and plastic using a novel Ni-Fe/CaO-SBA-15 catalyst: Experimental study and ANN-based prediction

Co-gasification of agricultural residue and plastic is a promising approach for alternative energy generation and waste management. This study explores the co-gasification of rice husk and low-density polyethylene plastic in a two-stage process using a novel Ni-Fe/CaO-SBA-15 catalyst. The catalyst, synthesized via the impregnation method and characterized using XRD, SEM, and BET techniques, was evaluated against a non-catalytic setup. Experimental variables included first-stage temperature, second-stage temperature, and plastic feed composition. The optimal yield and content of H₂ were achieved with 75–100 % plastic composition and catalyst as 163.70 mmol/g and 65.47 vol%, respectively. The second-stage temperature had a greater impact on H₂ production than the first-stage temperature, while SBA-15 significantly enhanced catalyst performance compared to Ni-Fe/CaO alone. An artificial neural network (ANN) accurately predicted the experimental outcomes, achieving a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.9988. These results highlight the potential of the catalyst and employed process for sustainable hydrogen production via waste valorization.