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Recent Research on Biomass and Waste Pyrolysis for Sustainable Fuel Production

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A: Sustainable Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2025 | Viewed by 246

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
Interests: development and utilization of renewable fuels; resource utilization of solid waste; SOFC fuel cell

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Guest Editor
College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
Interests: fuel cells; electrode materials; carbon deposition; fuel conversion; biomass utilization; characterization and testing
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global transition toward sustainable energy solutions has intensified the need for alternative fuel sources derived from renewable and waste materials. Pyrolysis, a thermochemical conversion process, offers a promising pathway to transform biomass and various waste streams (e.g., agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, plastics) into valuable fuels, chemicals, and carbon materials. This Special Issue, "Recent Research on Biomass and Waste Pyrolysis for Sustainable Fuel Production", aims to compile cutting-edge studies that advance the understanding, optimization, and application of pyrolysis technologies for sustainable energy generation.

We invite contributions that explore innovative approaches in pyrolysis process design, reactor technologies, catalytic upgrading, and product characterization. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Feedstock development: Novel biomass sources, waste-derived feedstocks, and their pretreatment methods.
  • Process optimization: Advances in slow, fast, and catalytic pyrolysis for enhanced bio-oil, syngas, or biochar yields.
  • Catalysis and upgrading: Catalytic pyrolysis and downstream refining techniques to improve fuel quality.
  • Environmental and economic assessments: Life cycle analysis (LCA), techno-economic feasibility, and carbon footprint reduction.
  • Emerging applications: Integration of pyrolysis products (e.g., bio-oil, biochar) in energy systems, carbon sequestration, or circular economy frameworks.

This Special Issue seeks to foster interdisciplinary research bridging engineering, chemistry, environmental science, and policy. By showcasing recent breakthroughs, we aim to highlight pyrolysis’s role in decarbonizing energy systems and promoting waste-to-energy strategies. Researchers are encouraged to submit original research articles, reviews, and case studies that contribute to the sustainable production of fuels from biomass and waste resources.

We look forward to your submissions to advance this critical field toward a cleaner energy future.

Dr. Shiliang Wu
Dr. Dongxu Cui
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomass pyrolysis
  • waste-to-energy
  • sustainable fuels
  • catalytic upgrading
  • circular economy
  • thermochemical conversion

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 3176 KiB  
Article
Comparison of the Characteristics of Hydrochar and Torrefied-Char of Traditional Chinese Medicine Residues
by Zhiqiang Xu, Wenyu Ren, Shiliang Wu and Rui Xiao
Energies 2025, 18(14), 3646; https://doi.org/10.3390/en18143646 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 124
Abstract
With the continuous reduction in fossil energy reserves and the increasingly prominent negative impacts on the environment, the search for sustainable alternative materials has become an urgent task. Biomass-based char has attracted much attention in the field of environmental protection, due to its [...] Read more.
With the continuous reduction in fossil energy reserves and the increasingly prominent negative impacts on the environment, the search for sustainable alternative materials has become an urgent task. Biomass-based char has attracted much attention in the field of environmental protection, due to its wide-ranging and renewable raw materials. Hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction carbonization, as two important biomass carbonization processes, each have their own advantages. This study focuses on the millions of tons of Chinese medicine residue waste generated in China every year. Four common Chinese medicine residues, Shanyao (Chinese yam), Suoyang (Cynomorium songaricum), Yujin (Curcuma aromatica), and Xueteng (Spatholobus suberectus), were selected and treated by hydrothermal carbonization and torrefaction carbonization processes at temperatures of 240 °C, 260 °C, and 280 °C. Through analysis techniques such as Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy, the changes in the crystal structure, chemical functional groups, and microscopic morphology of the carbonized products were deeply studied, and the carbon yield was measured. The research aims to reveal the carbonization laws of Chinese medicine residues, provide a scientific basis for their efficient resource utilization, and help promote the development of biomass-based carbon materials in the field of environmentally friendly materials, alleviating energy and environmental pressures. Full article
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