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Thermochemical conversion of plastic waste to fuels: a review
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Researchers reviewed thermochemical technologies — such as pyrolysis and gasification — that can convert plastic waste into usable fuels, offering a promising approach to reducing the massive volumes of non-biodegradable plastic that currently accumulate in the environment as microplastics.
Plastics are common in our daily lifestyle, notably in the packaging of goods to reducing volume, enhancing transportation efficiency, keeping food fresh and preventing spoilage, manufacturing healthcare products, preserving drugs and insulating electrical components. Nonetheless, massive amounts of non-biodegradable plastic wastes are generated and end up in the environment, notably as microplastics. The worldwide industrial production of plastics has increased by nearly 80% since 2002. Based on the degree of recyclability, plastics are classified into seven major groups: polyethylene terephthalate, high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low-density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene and miscellaneous plastics. Recycling technologies can reduce the accumulation of plastic wastes, yet they also pollute the environment, consume energy, labor and capital cost. Here we review waste-to-energy technologies such as pyrolysis, liquefaction and gasification for transforming plastics into clean fuels and chemicals. We focus on thermochemical conversion technologies for the valorization of waste plastics. This technology reduces the diversion of plastics to landfills and oceans, reduces carbon footprints, and has high conversion efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Depending on the conversion method, plastics can be selectively converted either to bio-oil, bio-crude oil, synthesis gas, hydrogen or aromatic char. We discuss the influence of process parameters such as temperature, heating rate, feedstock concentration, reaction time, reactor type and catalysts. Reaction mechanisms, efficiency, merits and demerits of biological and thermochemical plastic conversion processes are also discussed.
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Hydrogen production from plastic waste processing: A review
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This review pulls together existing research on turning plastic waste into clean-burning hydrogen fuel instead of letting it pile up in landfills or oceans (where it can break down into microplastics that end up in our water, food, and bodies). Scientists are testing several methods, like heating plastic without oxygen (pyrolysis) combined with steam or special catalysts, and some approaches already work at pilot scale, though they're not yet cheap or efficient enough for widespread use. The bigger picture: if perfected, this technology could offer a win-win, reducing plastic pollution while producing low-carbon energy.
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Researchers evaluated methods for converting waste naphtha-based plastics into combustible fuels, exploring pyrolysis and related thermochemical processes as potential strategies for reducing plastic waste accumulation while recovering energy value from discarded polymer materials.
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This review examines recent advances in converting plastic waste into fuel, covering reactor design innovations, process optimization strategies, and the integration of machine learning to improve efficiency and yield in plastic-to-fuel conversion systems.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.