Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis-derived hydrogen-rich biosyngas production through fixed-bed pyrolysis: Effect of activated carbon and Zingiber officinale

• The characteristics of freshwater Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis (SP) for future biofuel have been investigated. • Activated carbon (AC) as an additive does increase biosyngas product yield (H 2 , CH 4 , and CO) during pyrolysis. • Zingiber officinale (ZO) acted as a hydrogen donor, preventing CO and tar products. • AC and ZO have a synergistic effect, enhancing the beneficial products of H 2 and CH 4 , and suppressing CO species. • SP+AC:ZO(1:1) outperforms other pyrolysis feedstock mixtures, boosting H 2 and CH 4 yields by 7.71% and 68.7%, respectively, over SP pyrolysis alone. This study investigates the influence of activated carbon (AC) and Zingiber officinale (ZO) on hydrogen-rich biosynthesis gas (biosyngas) production from Spirulina ( Arthrospira ) platensis (SP) during pyrolysis. Different AC to ZO mass ratios of 0:1, 1:3, 1:1, 3:1, and 0:1 were mixed with SP and tested as the samples. The freshwater species of SP combined with an additive with an equal mass of 10 g SP added by 10 g additive, and subsequently, this 20 g sample was loaded into the fixed-bed batch-type reactor, a cylindrical vessel where the reactants are held stationary, for each experiment performed. Pyrolysis was conducted under an inert condition using a nitrogen flow rate of 0.8 l/min from room temperature until completed at 600 °C. The results reveal an optimal AC to ZO ratio of 1:1, enhancing hydrogen (H 2 ) and methane (CH 4 ) production. AC aids deoxygenation and reduces intermolecular forces, while ZO acts as a hydrogen donor, preventing tar and carbon monoxide (CO) formation. These complementary effects lead to synergistic interactions, and the SP+AC:ZO(1:1) outperforms other configurations, significantly increasing H 2 and CH 4 production by 7.71% and 68.7%, respectively.