Abstract: This review introduces main factors which influence the process of biomass gasification and then summaries the characteristic and the effects of various catalysts on gasification in details. Catalysts such as dolomites and olivine are widely available and low price but have poor mechanical properties. Alkali metal catalysts can efficiently reduce the quantity of tar in gasification and catalyze the conversion of CH₄ to CO and H₂. However, alkali metal catalysts have frequently been suffered devitalization due to the fusion in high temperature. Nickel catalysts and composite catalysts make a better effect on tar decrease and usually achieve a high H₂ yield in product gas. Obviously, they include some disadvantages such as more expensive, complex process and more difficulty to recycle the precious metal. At last, the article states the existing issues and predicts the research prospect of catalytic gasification of biomass.

Key words: biomass, gasification, catalysts, gas caloric value, tar