AMPERE Newsletter

Several thousands of million tons of wastes are generated worldwide every year. Of these, organic solid wastes have the potential to partially satisfy the production of chemicals, whilst the environmental impact can be minimized and the sustainability of the processes increased compared to those based on fossil resources. However, these wastes are complex due to their high heterogeneity, and new conversion processes are necessary before they can be converted into high value products. One possibility is to process these wastes using the microwave-induced pyrolysis (MIP), as an alternative to the conventional pyrolysis or gasification processes, that lead to the production of simple molecules, mainly H2 and CO, a mixture known as synthesis gas or syngas (see Figure 1).