Co-pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass and polymeric wastes for liquid oil production

Abstract

Co-pyrolysis has been researched as a promising technique for thermochemical conversion of biomass with plastics and other organic wastes into potentially useful products due to the ability to recover energy from these materials. This chapter presents a review of the development and application of co-pyrolysis as a nextgeneration thermochemical conversion technique for energy recovery from biomass waste materials (e.g., food waste, waste cooking oil etc.). This includes a discussion on the characteristics of co-pyrolysis, the key process parameters, the issues, and challenges arising from the application of co-pyrolysis, and the features and combustion performance of the liquid oil product. Co-pyrolysis using microwave technique shows ability to rectify certain limitations shown by conventional pyrolysis with a potential as a viable means to produce next-generation fuels from biomass wastes. This co-pyrolysis approach is capable of increasing the yield and enhancing the quality of the bio-oil product. Thus, it can be a potentially sustainable and feasible approach for energy recovery from biomass and wastes polymers.