Plastic waste conversion is the transformation of plastic waste into usable sustainable products. Depending on the waste plastic composition and level of contaminations, the plastic feedstock could be effectively converted into high-value products through pyrolysis, gasification, and steam reformation. If the plastic feedstock is clean and has an appropriate composition, pyrolysis can be applied to…
Gas-liquid fermentation, or gas fermentation, as it is sometimes called, can be a very versatile unit operation. It can be used to make fuels (aka biofuels), beverages, drugs, industrial enzymes, foods, yeast, monomers, etc. Fermentation is usually carried out in a bioreactor, which may be agitated or simply a bubble column or airlift. In the…
What are non-recyclable plastic experts? Currently, less than 20% of plastic wastes are recycled or converted to a type of alternative energy, and about 15% is converted to power. Most of the rest ends up in landfills. Alternative energy companies note that recycling rates have not increased in recent years. Some plastics are not recyclable…
Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants and animals. Biomass contains stored chemical energy from the sun and the use of biomass fuels for transportation and for electricity generation is increasing as we continue avoiding carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. Biomass can be burned directly for heat or converted to renewable liquid…
Biomass is plant-based material that, for the purposes of energy production, typically originates as residuals from another value extraction process (sawmilling, agricultural, industrial processes) or is grown specifically for the energy conversion process. Biomass has the advantage of being renewable, sustainable, and has the unique feature of storing the sun’s energy in chemical form to…
Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) is also used in a number of gas/air applications to remove contaminants. As the demand for activated carbon continues to grow, so too, does the number of suppliers. It can be an overwhelming decision to choose a suitable product. GAC is used in both air and liquid applications, typically in a…
What is WTE? Waste to Energy. The expression “one man’s trash is another’s treasure’’ has real-world meaning when considering the burgeoning field of waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies that convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into heat and energy, through a series of complex processes. The Environmental Protection Agency says in 2015, more than 262 million tons of…
What does a thermochemical expert or a thermochemical consultant do? Thermochemical processes are most commonly employed for converting biomass and waste into fuel or processed further to produce value added chemicals. Major thermal conversion routes include incineration, pyrolysis, and gasification. The selection of the appropriate technology depends on the desirable end user application. The relative…