(2019) Journal of CO₂ Utilization_Pyrolysis of waste feedstocks in CO₂ for effective energy recovery and waste treatment

Kwon E.E., Kim S., Lee J.

(Elsevier Ltd) Journal of CO2 Utilization ISSN: 22129820 Vol.31 Issue. Article No. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2019.03.015

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical conversion method for the production of energy and chemicals from carbonaceous substances. In this review, we emphasize the recent progress in the pyrolysis of waste feedstocks in the presence of carbon dioxide (CO₂). CO₂-assisted pyrolysis is compared to typical pyrolysis (i.e., pyrolysis under inert environment, such as nitrogen). It has been shown that CO2 plays a crucial role in increasing the yield of combustible permanent gas (e.g., carbon monoxide) while decreasing tar yield. CO₂-assisted pyrolysis is also an attractive technique to treat waste (municipal solid waste, plastic waste, etc.) because CO₂ enhances the thermal cracking of volatile species, thereby suppressing the formation of harmful chemical compounds, such as benzene derivatives and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. In addition to highlighting the recent achievements in the CO₂-assisted pyrolysis processes, we discuss the points that should be considered for future research. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Grant funded by the Korean Government (Ministry of Education) (No. 2018R1D1A1A09082841 ).