Production of aromatic hydrocarbons from microwave-assisted pyrolysis of municipal solid waste (MSW)

The microwave-assisted conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) into value-added products would be a promising option to tackle MSW piles. The present work was intended to understand the effect of microwave power (300, 450, and 600 W) and graphite susceptor loading (10, 30, and 50 g) on MSW valorization. Response surface methodology was used to analyze the impact of input variables on product yields and energy consumption. The heating rate increased, and microwave energy consumption decreased with the increase in microwave power. An increase in susceptor quantity resulted in a reduction in heating rates and also energy consumption. Nearly 84-88 wt% of MSW was converted into gases (42-60%), oil (26-42%), and char (12-16%) products. The carbon number distribution of oil fraction is in the range of C5 to C20 with a high yield of carbon content (74-91%). A high yield of aromatic hydrocarbons (84.5%) was obtained at 600 W microwave power and 30 g of the susceptor. The char fraction is rich in carbon content (80-90%) with a reasonable pore area (111-152 m2/g). This work demonstrated the feasibility of MSW upgradation into value-added chemicals, materials, and energy-rich fuel products. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.