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Pyrolysis Technology: From Heating Methods and Reactor Design to Catalytic Upgrading
Summary
Scientists found a way to turn plant waste (like crop leftovers and wood scraps) mixed with plastic waste into a cleaner, more efficient fuel through a heat-based process called pyrolysis. This matters because it offers a practical way to recycle plastic waste that would otherwise pile up in landfills or break down into microplastics that pollute our environment and potentially end up in our food and water. While this study focuses on fuel production rather than direct health outcomes, reducing plastic waste accumulation is an important step toward limiting microplastic pollution exposure for people and ecosystems alike.
This chapter addresses the high-value ultilization of biomass via advanced pyrolysis technology. By integrating thermogravimetric–Fourier transform infrared–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TG-FTIR-GC/MS) with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, the pyrolysis kinetics and component-specific decomposition mechanisms of typical agricultural and forestry biomasses are revealed. Furthermore, to address the bottleneck issues of poor thermal conductivity and low thermal efficiency of biomass, this chapter focuses on solid heat carrier-enhanced rotary kiln pyrolysis technology. It systematically analyzes the interactive effects of pyrolysis temperature, heat carrier filling ratio, and biomass particle size on product distribution and achieves process parameter optimization based on response surface methodology (RSM). Additionally, an upgrading strategy through the copyrolysis of biomass with hydrogen-rich plastic wastes (polyethylene and polypropylene) is proposed, elucidating the synergistic reaction pathways involving hydrogen radical transfer, deoxygenation, and hydrocarbon generation. Experimental results demonstrate that this integrated process significantly enhances both the yield (up to 55.4 wt.%) and quality of bio-oil, with a calorific value approaching 45 MJ/kg and hydrocarbon content exceeding 80%. This chapter provides systematic technical support for the synergistic high-value utilization of agricultural and forestry wastes and plastic wastes.