Recent Development of Biomass and Plastic Co-Pyrolysis for Syngas Production

Co-pyrolysis is an enhanced thermochemical conversion process employed to convert lignocellulosic and plastic materials into more improved liquid, gaseous, and solid biofuels. Co-pyrolysis has been used extensively for the manufacturing of liquid biofuels (bio-oil) with little emphasis on syngas production. However, syngas is a promising source of renewable power generation and green chemicals. Production of syngas provides an opportunity for achieving negative carbon dioxide through the implementation of carbon capture and storage. This paper reviews the production of syngas through co-pyrolysis of plastic and biomass wastes in a typical municipal solid waste from Ghana. The effects of key production parameters including type of feedstock, temperature, catalysts, heating rate, reactor configuration, and residence time on the yield and composition of the syngas are outlined. The paper attempts to unravel the kinetic mechanisms of the co-pyrolysis process and the synergistic effects that co-exist between the feedstocks during syngas production. It was found that syngas can be optimized in terms of yield and quality to be used as transportation fuels, chemicals, and the production of electricity through the co-pyrolysis process.