Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Hydrothermal carbonization of plastic waste: A review of its potential in alternative energy applications

Researchers reviewed how hydrothermal carbonization — a process that converts materials into a coal-like substance using heat and water under pressure — can transform plastic waste into useful products like solid fuels, catalysts, and materials for energy storage devices. While the technology is promising, challenges like variable plastic feedstock quality and scaling up production must be addressed before widespread commercial use.

2023 Fuel Communications 36 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Hydrothermal Carbonization Temperature on Microplastic Content in Digested Sewage Sludge and Its Relation to the Fuel Properties of Hydrochars

Hydrothermal carbonization temperature was found to influence how microplastics are transformed into hydrochar, affecting the properties of the resulting material. Optimizing this process could convert plastic waste into useful biochar-like materials while reducing the persistence of microplastics in the environment.

2025 Energies 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Two Stages Thermal and Catalytic Cracking of Polyethylene Terephthalate to Fuel Production

This study examined two-stage thermal and catalytic cracking of PET plastic to produce fuel, finding that combining thermal and catalytic processes improves fuel yield. Converting waste PET into fuel is one approach to managing plastic waste that might otherwise fragment into microplastics in the environment.

2021 International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Sustainable Adsorption of Polystyrene Microplastics in Aqueous Media Using PET-C Synthesized from Plastic Waste: DFT and Experimental Studies

Researchers converted PET plastic waste into activated carbon (PET-C) via direct carbonisation and KOH activation, then tested it for adsorbing polystyrene microplastics. PET-C achieved a maximum adsorption capacity of 139.57 mg/g via monolayer chemical adsorption, demonstrating a circular approach to using plastic waste to remove plastic pollution.

2025 ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into hydro thermal gasification process of microplastic polyethylene via reactive molecular dynamics simulations

Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to study the hydrothermal gasification process of polyethylene microplastics. The study found that temperature and water content significantly affect carbon conversion efficiency and product distribution, providing insights that could help optimize this technology for converting microplastic waste into useful syngas.

2024 Scientific Reports 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Morpho-structural and thermo-mechanical characterization of recycled polypropylene and polystyrene from mixed post-consumer plastic waste

Researchers characterized recycled polypropylene and polystyrene recovered from mixed post-consumer plastic waste, assessing their morphological, structural, and thermo-mechanical properties to evaluate suitability for reuse in manufacturing.

2022 Journal of environmental chemical engineering 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic regulates its co-pyrolysis process with biomass: Influencing factors, model calculations, and mechanisms

Researchers investigated co-pyrolysis of plastics and biomass, finding that varying the hydrogen-to-carbon ratio of biomass feedstocks influences synergistic effects on bio-oil quality, offering a strategy to improve plastic waste valorization.

2022 Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Lightweight carbon foam obtained from post-use polyethylene terephthalate bottles, properties, and potential applications

Researchers synthesized lightweight carbon foam from post-consumer PET plastic bottles via a controlled carbonization process, characterizing the foam's physical and chemical properties and exploring its potential as a value-added material from plastic waste recycling.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent Progresses in Pyrolysis of Plastic Packaging Wastes and Biomass Materials for Conversion of High-Value Carbons: A Review

This review examines pyrolysis of plastic packaging waste and biomass materials as routes to fuel and chemical recovery, comparing process conditions, product yields, and co-pyrolysis synergies. The authors find that blending plastics with biomass can improve fuel quality and reduce char formation, advancing the case for mixed-feedstock pyrolysis systems.

2024 Polymers 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Lightweight Carbon Foam obtained from post-use Polyehylene Terephthalate bottles and potential applications

Researchers developed a lightweight carbon foam from post-consumer PET bottles through carbonization, demonstrating a viable way to upcycle plastic waste into a valuable material with potential applications in filtration and thermal insulation.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Back cover

Researchers developed a scalable continuous low-pressure hydrothermal processing method to convert polystyrene plastic waste into valuable monomers, operating without catalysts, producing less char than pyrolysis, and requiring substantially lower pressures than supercritical methods.

2025 RSC Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Exploration of Pyrolysis Behaviors of Waste Plastics (Polypropylene Plastic/Polyethylene Plastic/Polystyrene Plastic): Macro-Thermal Kinetics and Micro-Pyrolysis Mechanism

Researchers investigated the pyrolysis behavior of three common plastics — polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene — using both experimental analysis and molecular dynamics simulations. The study determined activation energies and decomposition mechanisms for each plastic type, finding that polystyrene had the lowest thermal stability, which informs strategies for plastic waste recycling through pyrolysis.

2023 Processes 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Hydrogen production from plastic waste: A comprehensive simulation and machine learning study

Researchers used computer simulations and machine learning to optimize hydrogen production from polystyrene and polypropylene plastic waste through gasification. They found that increasing the gasification temperature up to 900 degrees Celsius significantly boosted hydrogen output, while higher pressures reduced production. The study demonstrates that converting plastic waste into hydrogen fuel could be an efficient way to address both energy needs and plastic pollution.

2024 International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Application of Infrared Pyrolysis and Chemical Post-Activation in the Conversion of Polyethylene Terephthalate Waste into Porous Carbons for Water Purification

Researchers compared methods for converting polyethylene terephthalate waste into porous carbon materials for water purification using pyrolysis and chemical activation with KOH. The study demonstrates that PET plastic waste can be repurposed into effective water treatment materials, offering a dual benefit of waste reduction and clean water production.

2024 Polymers 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermal and catalytic pyrolysis of a real mixture of post-consumer plastic waste: An analysis of the gasoline-range product

Researchers performed thermal and catalytic pyrolysis on real post-consumer plastic waste mixtures using various catalysts, finding that polymer type strongly influenced gas, liquid, and char yields, and that zeolite catalysts produced gasoline-range hydrocarbon liquids with commercially viable compositions from mixed plastic feedstocks.

2022 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimisation of Process Parameters to Maximise the Oil Yield from Pyrolysis of Mixed Waste Plastics

Researchers optimized the process parameters for thermal pyrolysis of mixed waste plastics to maximize oil yield from HDPE, polypropylene, and polystyrene. The study used response surface methodology to identify ideal conditions for converting plastic waste into pyrolytic oil, supporting chemical recycling as a strategy to reduce plastic pollution.

2024 Sustainability 18 citations
Article Tier 2

The Present and the Future of Polyethylene Pyrolysis

This review examines the pyrolysis of polyethylene as a waste-to-energy strategy, discussing how key process parameters — temperature, catalyst type, and agitation — influence the yield and quality of liquid oils, fuel gases, and solid chars produced from non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic waste.

2023 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Changes in physicochemical and leachate characteristics of microplastics during hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge

Researchers examined hydrothermal treatment of sewage sludge containing microplastics and found that while the process degraded polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET to varying degrees, it also generated potentially harmful leachates, highlighting trade-offs in this treatment approach.

2022 Water Research 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Recycling Carbon Resources from Waste PET to Reduce Carbon Dioxide Emission: Carbonization Technology Review and Perspective

This review summarized carbonization technologies for converting waste PET plastic into valuable carbon materials, offering a strategy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while recycling plastic resources in alignment with carbon neutrality goals.

2023 JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE MATERIALS 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Chemical and Thermal Oxidation Stabilization Influence on Pyrolytic Char Formation from PE and PVC Plastic Wastes

Researchers compared sulfonation and thermal oxidation stabilisation techniques for converting polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic waste into pyrolytic char, a valuable industrial byproduct. Results showed that sulfonation yielded higher char formation rates than thermal oxidation, offering a more efficient pathway for closing the plastic waste lifecycle through carbonisation.

2024 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Upgrading biochar via co-pyrolyzation of agricultural biomass and polyethylene terephthalate wastes

PET plastic bottles were co-processed with rice straw at high temperatures to create biochar that can effectively absorb multiple types of pollutants from water. This study demonstrates a way to repurpose plastic waste while also creating a useful tool for environmental remediation.

2019 RSC Advances 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive Kinetic Study of PET Pyrolysis Using TGA

Researchers conducted a comprehensive kinetic study of PET plastic pyrolysis using thermogravimetric analysis at multiple heating rates, determining activation energies and reaction mechanisms that inform waste-to-fuel conversion processes.

2023 Polymers 41 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-cost activated carbon from the pyrolysis of post-consumer plastic waste and the application in CO2 capture

Researchers prepared low-cost activated carbon from char residue generated during the pyrolysis of post-consumer plastic waste and tested its application for CO2 capture. The study demonstrates that plastic waste pyrolysis byproducts can be repurposed into useful porous materials, offering a dual benefit of chemical recycling and carbon capture.

2023 Process Safety and Environmental Protection 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Pyrolysis kinetic modelling of abundant plastic waste (PET) and in-situ emission monitoring

Researchers studied the chemical breakdown of PET plastic — the material in water bottles — using a process called pyrolysis (heating without oxygen) and tracked the gases released in real time. Their precise kinetic data on how PET decomposes could help design better plastic recycling reactors as the world moves away from fossil fuels.

2020 Environmental Sciences Europe 103 citations