Slow pyrolysis of municipal solid waste (MSW): A review

Jia-Shun Lu; Yingju Chang; Chi-Sun Poon; Duu-Jong Lee

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123615

Slow pyrolysis of municipal solid waste (MSW): A review

Bioresour Technol. 2020 Sep:312:123615. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123615. Epub 2020 Jun 1.

Authors

Jia-Shun Lu¹, Yingju Chang¹, Chi-Sun Poon², Duu-Jong Lee³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong; Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan. Electronic address: djlee@ntu.edu.tw.

PMID: 32517890
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123615

Abstract

In recent years, extensive studies have been carried out to improve our knowledge of the reactor operations and system performance in thermal pyrolysis of municipal solid wastes (MSW). However, the fundamentals of MSW pyrolysis and their engineering applications remain unsatisfactorily explored. This paper is a review of the pyrolysis of MSW and synergistic co-pyrolysis of the constituents of MSW with reference to pyrolytic performance, the distribution and energy content of the end products, and the mechanisms of the synergistic effects. The prospects for, and challenges of, the MSW pyrolysis process are provided. A MSW pyrolytic process with maximal energy recovery and minimal carbon footprint is proposed.

Keywords: Biochar; Co-pyrolysis; Mechanisms; Municipal solid waste; Pyrolysis oil; Syngas.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carbon Footprint
Pyrolysis
Refuse Disposal*
Solid Waste*

Substances

Solid Waste