Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Unraveling Co-Pyrolysis Mechanisms for Municipal Sludge and Microplastics: Thermodynamic, Kinetic, and Product Insights

Wastewater treatment plants produce large quantities of sewage sludge, which is often contaminated with microplastics from household and industrial sources. This study tested whether co-pyrolyzing sludge with polyethylene (HDPE) or PET plastic waste at high temperatures could improve energy recovery while processing microplastics. Adding 30% HDPE maximized the overall pyrolysis efficiency and changed the chemical reaction pathways, while PET had stronger facilitating effects at mid-range temperatures. The research suggests that co-pyrolysis could serve the dual purpose of sludge disposal and microplastic destruction, though the altered reaction kinetics and product mixtures require careful management.

2026 Processes
Article Tier 2

Synergistic Effects and Mechanistic Insights into the Co-Hydropyrolysis of Chilean Oak and Polyethylene: Unlocking the Potential of Biomass–Plastic Valorisation

This paper is not about microplastics; it studies the co-pyrolysis of wood biomass and polyethylene plastics in a hydrogen atmosphere to produce cleaner bio-oil, investigating synergistic thermochemical reactions.

2023 Polymers 13 citations
Article Tier 2

A Review on Biofuels and Chemicals Production by Co-pyrolysis of Solid Biomass Feedstocks and Non-degradable Plastics

This review examines co-pyrolysis processes that convert mixtures of plastic waste and solid biomass into fuels and chemical products. Co-pyrolysis offers a way to valorize plastic waste that would otherwise break down into microplastics in the environment, while also producing usable energy.

2023 International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research 1 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

Pyrolysis behavior of sewage sludge coexisted with microplastics: Kinetics, mechanism, and product characteristics

Researchers investigated the co-pyrolysis behavior of sewage sludge mixed with polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics. They found that the presence of microplastics improved the overall pyrolysis performance and altered the composition of the resulting bio-oil and gas products. The study suggests that understanding how microplastics in sewage sludge affect thermal treatment could help optimize waste processing at wastewater treatment plants.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Catalytic co-pyrolysis of oil palm empty fruit bunches (EFB) and surgical face mask (SFM) wastes: Thermo-kinetic study, ANN model fitting, and synergistic effect

Researchers studied the co-pyrolysis (simultaneous heat-breakdown) of oil palm waste and surgical face mask plastic to convert both into usable fuel, finding that a zeolite catalyst reduced the energy needed for the reaction by about 14%. This approach could help manage the surge of plastic PPE waste that would otherwise contribute to microplastic pollution in landfills and the environment.

2024 Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 13 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

Co-Pyrolysis of Plastic Waste and Lignin: A Pathway for Enhanced Hydrocarbon Recovery

Researchers investigated co-pyrolysis of plastic waste (polypropylene, polyethylene) with lignin biomass at various ratios and temperatures to recover valuable hydrocarbons. They found that mixing plastics with lignin enhanced the recovery of higher-value chemical products, with the best results at 600 degrees Celsius using polyethylene-lignin mixtures. The study demonstrates a pathway for converting both plastic and biomass waste into useful chemical feedstocks, potentially reducing plastic pollution.

2025 Energies 6 citations
Article Tier 2

The interaction between sludge and microplastics during thermal hydrolysis of sludge

Researchers studied how polyethylene and PET microplastics behave during thermal hydrolysis of municipal sludge at temperatures between 120 and 180 degrees Celsius. They found a mutual promotion relationship where sludge degradation accelerated microplastic aging, while the microplastics enhanced the breakdown of organic compounds in the sludge. The study suggests that thermal hydrolysis of sludge shows promise for simultaneously treating both sludge and microplastic contamination.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic degradation as a sustainable concurrent approach for producing biofuel and obliterating hazardous environmental effects: A state-of-the-art review

This review explores approaches to degrading microplastics through thermal and biological methods, which could simultaneously reduce environmental pollution and produce usable biofuels. Researchers highlight how certain microorganisms and heat-based processes can break down microplastics into simpler compounds that can serve as energy sources. The study suggests these dual-purpose strategies could help address both the plastic pollution crisis and energy security challenges.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 137 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Co-Pyrolysis of Polypropylene with Triacylglycerol-Based Waste Biomass to Obtain Sustainable Hydrocarbons

Despite its title referencing polypropylene co-pyrolysis, this paper studies the thermal breakdown of polypropylene plastic waste combined with biodiesel industry byproducts to produce renewable hydrocarbon fuels — not microplastic pollution. It examines chemical product yields from waste-to-fuel conversion, and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Sustainable Chemistry 1 citations
Article Tier 2

How microplastics affect sludge pyrolysis behavior: Thermogravimetry-mass spectrum analysis and biochar characteristics

Microplastics in sewage sludge alter how the sludge burns during pyrolysis: PVC microplastics sped up decomposition while polyethylene and polypropylene slowed it down. This matters because sewage sludge from wastewater plants contains thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram, and understanding how they change the energy recovery and byproduct quality of sludge treatment helps improve the management of this widespread microplastic sink.

2023 Waste Management 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate of microplastic during pyrolysis of sewage sludge

Researchers investigated what happens to microplastics embedded in sewage sludge when sludge is treated by pyrolysis, a high-temperature thermochemical process. Pyrolysis effectively destroyed most microplastic particles, but some residual polymer-derived compounds partitioned into the pyrolysis products.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Co-Valorisation Energy Potential of Wastewater Treatment Sludge and Agroforestry Waste

Not relevant to microplastics — this study characterizes the energy potential of various biomass feedstocks including sewage sludge, forestry waste, swine manure, cork, and biochar as renewable energy co-valorisation resources, finding substantial variation in calorific values across materials.

2024 Environments 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Upgrading Mixed Agricultural Plastic and Lignocellulosic Waste to Liquid Fuels by Catalytic Pyrolysis

Researchers compounded mixed agricultural plastic waste (netting, twine, film) and lignocellulosic residues (bluegrass straw/chaff) in a twin-screw extruder and subjected the homogenised material to thermal and catalytic pyrolysis (500-600 C) to characterise liquid fuel yields from this otherwise burned or landfilled agricultural waste stream.

2022 Catalysts 9 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of prospects and current scenarios of biomass co-pyrolysis for water treatment

This review examines biomass co-pyrolysis as a strategy to produce enhanced biochars for water treatment, finding that combining different biomass feedstocks can improve biochar surface area and porosity, making the resulting materials more effective adsorbents for removing contaminants including microplastics.

2022 Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Towards fuels production by a catalytic pyrolysis of a real mixture of post-consumer plastic waste

Researchers tested in-situ catalytic pyrolysis of a real mixed post-consumer plastic waste stream from mechanical-biological treatment facilities, producing a liquid fuel fraction with properties comparable to gasoline, kerosene, and diesel.

2023 Fuel 28 citations
Article Tier 2

The Pyrolysis of Biosolids in a Novel Closed Coupled Pyrolysis and Gasification Technology: Pilot Plant Trials, Aspen Plus Modelling, and a Techno-Economic Analysis

Researchers tested a novel closed-coupled pyrolysis and gasification system for processing biosolids (sewage sludge), measuring energy recovery and the fate of contaminants including microplastics during thermal treatment. The system achieved high energy recovery while thermally destroying microplastics present in the biosolids.

2024 Water 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Thermogravimetric analysis and kinetic study of marine plastic litter

This study characterized the composition and thermal degradation behavior of collected marine plastic debris, exploring pyrolysis as a method for recovering energy from plastic waste that cannot be recycled. Managing the large volumes of plastic debris in the ocean requires both prevention and end-of-life treatment solutions.

2018 Marine Pollution Bulletin 17 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

Perspectives on Thermochemical Recycling of End-of-Life Plastic Wastes to Alternative Fuels

This review examined thermochemical recycling technologies including pyrolysis, liquefaction, and gasification for converting plastic waste into clean fuels, discussing operating principles, barriers, and the potential for co-processing plastics with biomass.

2023 Materials 36 citations
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

Fate of microplastic during pyrolysis of sewage sludge

Researchers examined how pyrolysis as a sewage sludge treatment method affects the fate of embedded microplastics, finding that thermal treatment largely destroys plastic particles. However, some polymer-derived volatile compounds transferred to pyrolysis gases and oils, suggesting that microplastic destruction does not eliminate all associated chemical risks.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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