Mixtures of oxygen and steam were used as gasifying agents to produce a gas stream with high hydrogen content. The effects of the equivalence ratio (ER) and steam to carbon ratio (S/C) on gasification performance were studied at 900 ºC. The highest hydrogen yield (0.412 Nm3/kg charcoal) and apparent energy efficiency (33.43%) were achieved using a mixture that had a S/C ratio of 0.625 and an ER equal to 0.3 (pure oxygen). The results showed that the carbon conversion improved when the ER and the S/C ratio were augmented, and that the production of tars increased when the S/C ratio was increased. The use of γ-Al2O3 as bed material was effective in the cracking of the tars, as well as on the cracking of hydrocarbons heavier than methane.
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