Challenge and Research Trends in Pyrolysis for Waste Raw Materials

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Changes in waste legislation around the world, seeks to avoid landfilling and makes incineration difficult. This generates a pressing need for technologies that favor the use and transformation of waste into new products related with circular economy. The transformation of waste materials by pyrolysis is one of the most promising technologies. This technology allows the generation of new products that may have new uses or that can be used for chemical recycling. This multidisciplinary topic is dedicated to the transformation of waste into new products or secondary raw material, through pyrolysis, and to the efficacy and subsequent application of these new products. The transformation of plastics, tires, residual biomass, electronic waste, through pyrolysis can be a mechanism by which these wastes are reincorporated into the system. There is increasing evidence of the role of Biochar as a permanent carbon store and fertilizer, of the use of pyrolysis liquid as green nafta or of the use of Wood vinegar as herbicide, fertilizer or as a biostimulant. In this issue we want to address all these issues and those related to the economic and environmental viability and effectiveness of these processes.

Dr. Juan Luis Aguirre
Topic Editor

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Energies energies	3.0	6.2	2008	16.8 Days	CHF 2600
Materials materials	3.1	5.8	2008	13.9 Days	CHF 2600
Pollutants pollutants	-	-	2021	25.3 Days	CHF 1000
Recycling recycling	4.6	6.8	2016	20.9 Days	CHF 1800

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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All Energies Materials Pollutants Recycling

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18 pages, 1570 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Medium-Term Effects and Economic Analysis of Biochar Application in Three Mediterranean Crops

by Juan Luis Aguirre, Sergio González-Egido, María González-Lucas and Francisco Miguel González-Pernas

Energies 2023, 16(10), 4131; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16104131 - 16 May 2023

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2155

Abstract

This study assessed the effect of soil amendment with biochar on the production of some Mediterranean crops. Pine-derived biochar (B1) and partially pyrolyzed pine-derived biochar (B2) were used with a dose of 8 L/m² in a corn crop, reporting a production increase [...] Read more.

This study assessed the effect of soil amendment with biochar on the production of some Mediterranean crops. Pine-derived biochar (B1) and partially pyrolyzed pine-derived biochar (B2) were used with a dose of 8 L/m² in a corn crop, reporting a production increase of 38–270% over three years with B1, and no effect of B2 due to its poor quality. Olive stone-derived biochar (B3) was used in lavandin and vineyard crops with doses of 0.04–0.9 L/m² and 0.37–2.55 L/m², respectively. An increase of 23–25% in plant volume of lavandin was reported, while the production of grapes per plant was not significantly altered, although it increased by up to 66%. Soil analysis indicated that biochar does not significantly alter soil physicochemical parameters; therefore, biochar may affect plants by altering soil structure and increasing its cation exchange capacity and water management efficiency. Depending on its price, biochar application may be profitable for lavandin and corn crops, with a return-on-investment period ranging from 1 to 4 years. However, the profitability of its use in vineyards is questionable, particularly for the varieties with the lowest market price. Studies examining the economics of biochar application indicate that CO₂ abatement certification may help in covering biochar application costs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenge and Research Trends in Pyrolysis for Waste Raw Materials)
(This article belongs to the Section D1: Advanced Energy Materials)

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16 pages, 1349 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Biochar on Biointensive Horticultural Crops and Its Economic Viability in the Mediterranean Climate

by Francisco Miguel González-Pernas, Cristina Grajera-Antolín, Olivia García-Cámara, María González-Lucas, María Teresa Martín, Sergio González-Egido and Juan Luis Aguirre

Energies 2022, 15(9), 3407; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15093407 - 6 May 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3965

Abstract

The effects of biochar on different horticultural crops (lettuce, tomato, sweet pepper, and radish) were evaluated in the Mediterranean climate. Biochar was produced by pyrolysis of Pinus pinaster wood chips at 550 °C and used at 1 (B1) and 2 (B2) kg/m² [...] Read more.

The effects of biochar on different horticultural crops (lettuce, tomato, sweet pepper, and radish) were evaluated in the Mediterranean climate. Biochar was produced by pyrolysis of Pinus pinaster wood chips at 550 °C and used at 1 (B1) and 2 (B2) kg/m² application rates on six 3.5 m² plots in each treatment, with two control plots (B0). No fertilizer was used. Treatment B1 led to a significant increase (p < 0.01) of 35.4%, 98.1%, 28.4%, and 35.2% in the mean fresh weight of radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet peppers, respectively. Treatment B2 resulted in an improvement of 70.7% in radishes, 126.1% in lettuce, 38.4% in tomatoes, and 95.0% in sweet peppers (p < 0.01). Significant differences between treatments B1 and B2 were observed in the radish, tomato, and sweet pepper crops but not in lettuce. The profitability of biochar application to these crops was studied by considering a biochar price of 800 EUR/t and applying a CO₂ fixation subsidy, assuming the updated February 2022 price (90 EUR/t). In lettuce, tomato, and sweet pepper crops, the investment payback period was approximately one year. Application of biochar generated economic benefit either from the first harvest or in the second year. In radish, this period was longer than two years; however, an increase in the annual frequency of cultivation should be studied to optimize the benefit. The dose that provided the greatest benefit was B1 (for all crops, except for sweet pepper). Biochar considerably improved fruit and vegetable yield under the Mediterranean climate; however, further studies are needed to assess the effects of biochar on soil properties and yield to estimate long-term environmental and economic benefits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenge and Research Trends in Pyrolysis for Waste Raw Materials)
(This article belongs to the Section D1: Advanced Energy Materials)

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14 pages, 969 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

A Novel Method for the Estimation of Higher Heating Value of Municipal Solid Wastes

by Weiguo Dong, Zhiwen Chen, Jiacong Chen, Zhao Jia Ting, Rui Zhang, Guozhao Ji and Ming Zhao

Energies 2022, 15(7), 2593; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15072593 - 2 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2750

Abstract

The measurement of the higher heating value (HHV) of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) plays a key role in the disposal process, especially via thermochemical approaches. An optimized multi-variate grey model (OBGM (1, N)) is introduced to forecast the MSWs’ HHV to high [...] Read more.

The measurement of the higher heating value (HHV) of municipal solid wastes (MSWs) plays a key role in the disposal process, especially via thermochemical approaches. An optimized multi-variate grey model (OBGM (1, N)) is introduced to forecast the MSWs’ HHV to high accuracy with sparse data. A total of 15 cities and MSW from the respective city were considered to develop and verify the multi-variant models. Results show that the most accurate model was POBGM (1, 5) of which the least error measured 5.41% MAPE (mean absolute percentage error). Ash, being a major component in MSW, is the most important factor affecting HHV, followed by volatiles, fixed carbon and water contents. Most data can be included by using the prediction interval (PI) method with 95% confidence intervals. In addition, the estimations indicated that the MAPE from estimating the HHV for various MSW samples, collected from various cities, were in the range of 3.06–34.50%, depending on the MSW sample. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenge and Research Trends in Pyrolysis for Waste Raw Materials)
(This article belongs to the Section D1: Advanced Energy Materials)

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17 pages, 1763 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Specific Power on the Solid and Liquid Products Obtained in the Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of End-of-Life Tires

by María Teresa Martín, Juan Luis Aguirre, Juan Baena-González, Sergio González, Roberto Pérez-Aparicio and Leticia Saiz-Rodríguez

Energies 2022, 15(6), 2128; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15062128 - 14 Mar 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2993

Abstract

In this work, chemical recycling as an alternative to conventional end-of-life treatments was studied. Two different types of end-of-life tires (ELT), truck tires and mix tires (50:50 mixture of passenger car and truck tires), were pyrolyzed in a batch microwave reactor. The influence [...] Read more.

In this work, chemical recycling as an alternative to conventional end-of-life treatments was studied. Two different types of end-of-life tires (ELT), truck tires and mix tires (50:50 mixture of passenger car and truck tires), were pyrolyzed in a batch microwave reactor. The influence of specific power (10, 20, and 30 W/g) on mass distribution was analyzed. The maximum liquid yield was attained at 10 W/g, while the maximum gas yield is obtained at 30 W/g. Liquid fractions were characterized by gas chromatography/quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC/qMS) to identify the main components, and major compounds were quantified. In all samples, limonene (3.76 ± 0.31–6.80 ± 2.37 wt. %) and BTEX (3.83 ± 0.20–1.19 ± 2.80 wt. %) were the main components. Major limonene concentration is obtained in oil produced from truck ELT while higher yields of aromatic compounds are obtained from mix ELT. The maximum BTEX concentration is obtained at 10 W/g being toluene the main compound with a concentration of 2.07 ± 0.42 and 4.63 ± 1.29 for truck and mix ELT, respectively. The separation and purification of these compounds will confer important value to these fractions. Higher yields of the solid fraction are produced when mix tires are pyrolyzed due to the higher concentration of ash in this type of ELT. Recovered carbon black was characterized by measuring the surface area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenge and Research Trends in Pyrolysis for Waste Raw Materials)
(This article belongs to the Section D1: Advanced Energy Materials)

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14 pages, 1415 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Leather Waste

by María González-Lucas, Manuel Peinado, Juan J. Vaquero, Leonor Nozal, Juan Luis Aguirre and Sergio González-Egido

Energies 2022, 15(4), 1273; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15041273 - 10 Feb 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2909

Abstract

The processing of leather into leather is one of the oldest known manufacturing practices. The subsequent refinement of this technique over recent centuries has led to an increase in production, which in turn has led to an increase in waste production. Today, many [...] Read more.

The processing of leather into leather is one of the oldest known manufacturing practices. The subsequent refinement of this technique over recent centuries has led to an increase in production, which in turn has led to an increase in waste production. Today, many of the by-products and waste streams from the leather industry have applications in industries such as petfood and in the production of collagen and derivatives, while others, such as waste from trimming and scraping the material, are disposed of in landfills, causing a detrimental environmental impact. For this reason, new alternatives for the treatment of these wastes, such as pyrolysis, are being investigated. The aim of this work is to assess the feasibility of recovering non-recyclable waste from the leather industry by pyrolysis. Waste from the tanning of cowhides with vegetable tannins and tanning with chrome salts, without pre-treatment, were used as raw materials. The operating conditions of the microwave-assisted pyrolysis were analysed by varying the time (15–30 min), the power (600–1000 W) and the dopant (carbon from the pyrolysis itself) in a batch reactor that allows to treat about 30 g of a sample. Three fractions (liquid, solid and gaseous) were obtained from the waste treatment, and the liquid and gaseous fractions were characterised using different analytical techniques. The solid fraction can be used as fuel due to its high calorific value of more than 20 MJ/kg and its low ash content, with the residue containing vegetable tannins giving the best results with a calorific value of up to 28 MJ kg⁻¹. In addition, the solid fraction can be used as activated carbon after activation treatment, which allows for a more technical use, e.g., in the chemical industry. The liquid fraction contains significant amounts of phenolic groups, such as pyrrole and phenol, as well as other derivatives. Pyridine, aniline, cresol and succinimide, among others, were also found. This makes it a valid source of chemical compounds of high added value in the chemical industry. In addition, the heavy liquid fraction has a good heat capacity of more than 21 MJ/kg, which makes it suitable for use as a fuel. The microwave-assisted pyrolysis process results in the possibility of obtaining products from waste that would otherwise be destined for landfill, thereby obtaining a large number of products and bioproducts with the ability to be reintroduced into the value chain quickly and easily. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Challenge and Research Trends in Pyrolysis for Waste Raw Materials)
(This article belongs to the Section D1: Advanced Energy Materials)

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