We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Optimal operating conditions for biofuel production from biomass and plastic waste via pyrolysis: A critical systematic review
Summary
This review pulls together 64 studies on turning trash—both plant waste and plastic—into fuel using a heat-based process called pyrolysis, which cooks waste without oxygen instead of burning it. The findings show this method can convert 60-85% of waste into useful fuel at moderate temperatures (400-600°C), offering a promising way to deal with plastic waste that would otherwise pollute the environment and break down into microplastics. While this is about waste management rather than a direct health study, less plastic waste sitting in landfills or waterways means less plastic pollution ending up in our food, water, and eventually our bodies.
The increasing generation of solid waste and its inadequate management represent a major global environmental and public health challenge, particularly in Latin America. In this context, pyrolysis has emerged as an effective technological alternative for converting waste into energy. This thermochemical process, conducted in the absence of oxygen, produces valuable products such as bio-oil, syngas, and biochar, with significant energy and environmental applications. This study presents a systematic literature review aimed at identifying experimentally validated operating conditions for pyrolysis processes that favor biofuel production. Key parameters analyzed include temperature, particle size, waste type, pretreatment methods, and catalyst use. The review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and included 64 experimental studies published between 2008 and 2024 that reported quantitative operating conditions and product yields for biomass, plastic waste, or mixed feedstocks; studies without experimental validation were excluded. The results consistently identify temperature as the most influential factor, with favorable ranges between 400 and 600 °C depending on feedstock characteristics. For lignocellulosic biomass, bio-oil yields are maximized at approximately 500 °C, whereas plastic waste exhibits higher liquid yields at lower temperatures, typically around 400 °C. Reported bio-oil yields generally range from 40–75 % for biomass and up to 90 % for selected plastic wastes, with overall conversion efficiencies commonly between 60 % and 85 %. Additionally, smaller particle sizes and pretreatments such as drying and grinding enhance conversion efficiency. The application of catalysts, particularly modified zeolites and metal-based catalysts, improves process selectivity by increasing the proportion of desirable hydrocarbons and reducing undesirable byproducts. However, these outcomes depend strongly on reactor configuration, catalyst formulation, and experimental scale, which limits the generalization of optimal operating conditions. Although no formal quantitative quality scoring was applied, methodological consistency and clarity of experimental reporting were qualitatively considered.