Co-Pyrolysis of Mixed Waste Feedstocks: Synergistic Effects and Fuel Upgrading

The growing accumulation of municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, sewage sludge, plastics, and other industrial wastes poses significant environmental and energy challenges. Conventional disposal methods such as landfilling and incineration generate greenhouse gas emissions and waste potentially valuable resources. Pyrolysis has emerged as a promising thermochemical route for converting waste into bio-oil, syngas, and char. More recently, the co-pyrolysis of mixed waste feedstocks has attracted growing attention, because interactions between different materials can be synergistic, additive, or antagonistic, depending on the feedstocks and operating conditions. Synergistic effects can improve product yield and quality. For example, hydrogen-rich plastics can enhance the deoxygenation of biomass-derived vapors, yielding upgraded liquid fuels with higher calorific values and improved stability. Antagonistic effects, by contrast, can reduce yields or degrade product quality. Understanding the full range of these interactions is essential for developing sustainable waste-to-energy systems that advance circular-economy objectives.This Research Topic aims to deepen understanding of the co-pyrolysis of mixed waste feedstocks by examining feedstock interaction effects (synergistic, additive, and antagonistic), reaction mechanisms, catalyst development, and fuel-upgrading strategies. By bringing together recent advances, this Research Topic aims to offer practical insights for scaling co-pyrolysis technologies and promoting the sustainable management of diverse waste streams.This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Reviews/Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, and Methods articles on co-pyrolysis and fuel upgrading. We especially welcome contributions that identify optimal feedstock combinations, operating conditions (e.g., heating rate, reactor configuration), and catalytic systems that maximize high-quality liquid-fuel yield while minimizing undesirable by-products, as well as studies on how these factors and process integration affect product distribution and energy efficiency. We also encourage studies that clarify when and why feedstock interactions turn synergistic, neutral, or antagonistic. Interdisciplinary studies bridging chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, environmental engineering, and energy systems are encouraged.Areas within the scope of this collection include, but are not limited to:• Synergistic, additive, and antagonistic interactions among biomass, plastics, sludge, and other waste materials during co-pyrolysis• Catalyst design and catalytic co-pyrolysis• Reaction kinetics and mechanisms• Reactor technologies and process optimization• Bio-oil upgrading and refining• Characterization and valorization of biochar and syngas• Techno-economic analysis of co-pyrolysis processes• Lifecycle and environmental impact assessment• Artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in process optimization• Industrial demonstration and scale-up strategies. Topic editors: Ahmad Nawaz, Nadeem A Khan Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86017/co-pyrolysis-of-mixed-waste-feedstocks-synergistic-effects-and-fuel-upgrading