Modern pyrolysis has come a long way

Modern pyrolysis holds immense promise for waste management, energy production, and environmental sustainability. It is widely misunderstood and maligned by people who associate it solely with attempts to recycle tires. Today, many of those issues have been addressed.

Pyrolysis allows the recovery of metals from tires and plastics from community waste streams. As I have recently discussed, pyrolysis can be either a slow, gradual process or a rapid, intense one. It can be used to maximize the liberation of gas in biomass or to separate plastics and other petroleum-like products from waste streams.

This process stops plastics from being included in the production of biochar and can lead to zero landfills from the processing of urban or community waste.

Likewise, it can be used in the sewerage cleaning process. The Projects RH team in Colombia are working with a Scandinavian water technology group to enhance a significant sewerage asset by incinerating waste, liberating all gasses and turning the remainder into fertilizer.

What is pyrolysis?

Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of organic materials at elevated temperatures, often in an inert atmosphere (absence of oxygen). During pyrolysis, complex organic compounds break down into simpler molecules without combustion.

The process produces various valuable products, including bio-oil, carbon black, biochar, and gases.

Some of the compounds released in this process are used to prevent the item from breaking down in nature. This includes hardeners and stabilizers in tires, rubber items which are part of cars and trucks plus plastics even in plastic bags and straws.

Pyrolysis in our world

Pyrolysis has several critical applications:

• Waste Treatment: It allows us to convert waste materials (such as tires, plastics, and biomass) into useful products, reducing waste accumulation and environmental pollution.
• Carbon Materials Production: Pyrolysis is fundamental for creating materials like graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon fibers.
• Energy Generation: By converting waste into bio-oil and gases, pyrolysis contributes to renewable energy sources.

There are two types of Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis can be:

• Low Heat Pyrolysis: This Occurs during preheating or smoldering (e.g., in wildfires). It produces more liquid and solid products. These liquids include converting plastics into a material which can be reprocessed into petroleum-products. Generally, this process is considered to occur within the temperature range of 400°C to 800°C (752°F to 1472°F). At lower temperatures, liquid generation predominates.
• High Heat Pyrolysis: This process dominates in the flame region. It generates more gases due to powerful thermal cracking reactions. Typically, it’s short and sharp, with the specific goal of liberating gases that can serve as substitutes for petroleum gases. For instance, methane can be released and transformed into renewable natural gas (RNG)—and yes, generally, it’s methane.

The pyrolysis misnomer

Although pyrolysis is commonly used to recycle tires, it isn’t limited to that purpose. Preprocessing plants that employ pyrolysis are well-suited for recycling vehicle tires.

Vehicle tire recycling is an area of specialized study that falls well beyond the scope of this paper.

However, pyrolysis holds a special place in addressing the natural breakdown properties of both rubber and synthetic oil found in tires. During tire manufacture, hardening agents are added to manage these properties.

Unfortunately, the consequence of this practice is that tires often end up in landfills, where they persist for decades.

So, pyrolysis is green!

Modern tires also incorporate steel or alloy reinforcement. Here’s where pyrolysis steps in: it allows for valuable recovery. And my, my, surprise, pyrolysis is considered green!

• Metals can be reclaimed from the tires.
• Most of the tire material can be transformed back into petroleum-based products.
• High-grade steel wire and carbon black can be extracted and recycled.
• Converts waste into valuable products.
• Reduces landfill waste.
• And don’t forget—the carbon products recovered from pyrolysis also include renewable natural gas.
• It uses the energy it produces to provide heat.
• It does not need additional fossil fuel. The materials it uses are already in our environment.

What materials are commonly used for pyrolysis?

Pyrolysis is commonly used in a wide variety of waste to energy (WTE) and biomass applications, such as:

• Timber – forest waste, specially grown trees and manufacturing waste such as “ends” and saw dust.
• Urban green waste
• Specialized plastic waste streams which are separately processed in most cases.
• Urban waste which also contains plastics – generally metals are removed first.
• Specifically grow crops such as ADX, Bana Grass and other species from the Napier Grass family.
• Agricultural residues
• Sewerage

The packaging challenge

The ongoing challenge lies in developing more efficient systems and materials that, at the end of their life cycle, can be easily broken down and recycled.

One notable development is in tetra-packaging, which demonstrates a capacity for more straightforward and effective recycling.

What are the major outputs of the pyrolysis process?

• Renewable Natural Gas: Yes, pyrolysis can yield gases suitable for energy use. This gas can be used for power generation or sold as RNG and used for vehicles, home heating and cooking.Diesel: Bio-oil from pyrolysis can be a precursor for diesel. This material can be further processed to make aviation fuels.
• Plastics: Pyrolysis can break down plastics into petroleum products which can be used in the making of recycled plastics

Sustainable Energy Solutions: Projects RH and the Seaweed Challenge

Our future energy supply will come from a series of sources and using the appropriate technology to recycle and reuse what we have is critical.

The Team at Projects RH are working across a number of projects which use biomass and animal waste to create energy without adding more carbon into the environment. Our clients and their investors and bankers want to see best-proven technologies being applied.

We recently commenced work with Kalvin Smith founder of Green Petroleum, and we have submitted a joint proposal to provide solutions to the sargassum (a seaweed) problem in the Caribbean.

Our proposal will use pyrolysis as part of our process to manage the infestation of sargassum to provide local power and gas plus provide exports. Smith is applying his mind and engineering skills to address a deep concern for the Caribbean community.

Projects RH is pleased to support such a local response.

If you have a biomass project…

Please send you materials to paulraftery@projectsrh.com and then book a time to speak at https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/PaulRafteryProjectsRH@projectsrh.com/bookings/ Please allow me 24 hours to send a link and read your summary.

Gain Investor Confidence with Projects RH: Effectively prepare your biomass-to-energy project for success in securing the funding you require. Unlock the power of biomass and join the exciting journey toward a more sustainable tomorrow!

Disclaimer: The ideas and underlying gist are original and generated by a human author, and reviewed by a human editor. The organization, grammar, and presentation may have been enhanced by the use of AI.