A review on liquid fuel produced from microwave-assisted pyrolysis of plastic waste

The continuous growth of plastic waste and the depletion of fossil energy have seriously affected the environment and human live. Microwave-assisted pyrolysis is a promising technique for turning organic wastes, like plastic wastes, into products with additional value. The present status of plastic pyrolysis with microwave assistance to produce liquid fuel with high-value addition is reviewed in this paper. The basic principle of microwave radiation is introduced. The advantages and factors of employing microwaves to assist pyrolyze plastic wastes are discussed. Compared with traditional pyrolysis, microwave assisted pyrolysis can uniformly heat substances, achieve rapid and selective heating, and has the advantages of high production efficiency and low energy consumption. Microwave power, temperature, catalyst and microwave absorbers are the main influencing factors of microwave assisted pyrolysis of plastic waste. In addition, the application of machine learning in microwave pyrolysis of plastic wastes are summarized, as well as the application of pyrolysis oil in the field of energy and materials. The primary challenges and limitations of microwave-assisted pyrolysis of plastic wastes are also covered, and this method offered a fresh concept for the efficient use of plastic wastes. In the future, the existing solid waste should be used to develop new efficient catalysts and microwave absorbers, and further explore the co-pyrolysis of plastics and biomass to improve the efficiency of plastic pyrolysis and product quality. This review is helpful for subsequent related research in liquid production from microwave-assisted pyrolysis of plastic wastes.