Scientists of Tomsk Polytechnic university developed an innovative method for processing coal mining waste. New microwave pyrolysis technology with the addition of biomass can reduce energy consumption by 47% and significantly speed up the process of recycling industrial waste.
Specialists Tomsk Polytechnic University made a breakthrough in the field of industrial waste processing. They have improved the microwave pyrolysis method used to recycle organic waste. The innovation consists of adding conventional biomass – pine nut shells and cow manure – to coal mining waste.
Traditional microwave pyrolysis, which operates on the principle of a conventional microwave oven, requires significant energy consumption and time. To speed up the process, expensive catalytic additives and absorbent metals are usually used. Russian researchers have proposed a more economical and effective alternative.
Scientists have found that adding just 10% cow manure to a coal pellet speeds up the pyrolysis process by almost half. Using pine nut shells in the same proportion reduces energy costs by 47.5% and the duration of the process by almost 10%. This was made possible thanks to organic additives that act as natural catalysts.
The new technology not only reduces waste processing costs, but also opens up opportunities for creating useful secondary products. Particularly promising is the recycling of organic waste from large industries, which can serve as catalysts for the process.
For the practical implementation of the development, a pilot plant with a capacity of up to 20 kg of waste per day has already been created at TPU. This paves the way for the creation of economical and environmentally friendly processing technologies on an industrial scale.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology.
Source: minobrnauki.gov.ru
