Recovery of energy and chemicals from carbonaceous materials

Abstract

Biomass is the most common form of carbonaceous materials, widely used in the third world. In this study, methods of recovery of organic wastes are evaluated. These methods are mainly hydrogenation, pyrolysis, thermal and/or catalytic cracking, gasification and bioconversion. These methods are compared with each other. During these processes, the polymeric structure is broken down, producing smaller intermediate species, which can further react and produce a mixture of smaller hydrocarbon molecules, liquids and gases. These hydrocarbons could be used as fuel or as chemical raw materials for several industries. Thus, plastic wastes are recovered by using alternative energy sources.