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Catalytic pyrolysis as a platform technology for supporting the circular carbon economy

Nature Catalysis volume 6, pages 563–573 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

Catalytic pyrolysis, a process that combines pyrolysis and vapour-phase catalytic upgrading, is a versatile technology platform capable of direct liquefaction of biomass and waste plastic into intermediates that can enable the decarbonized production of chemicals and/or transportation fuels. Recently, catalytic pyrolysis has attracted substantial research and commercialization attention, with over 15,000 journal articles and patents published in the past decade alone. In this Perspective, we chart a path towards commercial-scale catalytic pyrolysis of waste plastic and biomass by identifying key short-term and long-term technological barriers. Within the proposed development roadmap addressing these barriers, catalytic pyrolysis can move from the demonstration scale to integrated biorefinery networks producing fuels and plastics precursors at a scale of between 0.1 and 1 billion tonnes of carbon per year.

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Fig. 1: Opportunities for catalytic pyrolysis as a circular carbon technology.
Fig. 2: Overview of catalytic pyrolysis process configurations and technological development.
Fig. 3: Roadmap for the development of the catalytic pyrolysis technology platform.

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Acknowledgements

This work was authored in part by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, for the US Department of Energy (DOE) under contract no. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Bioenergy Technologies Office, in collaboration with the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy Consortium (ChemCatBio), a member of the Energy Materials Network (EMN). The views expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the views of the DOE or the US government. The US government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the US government retains a nonexclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, worldwide licence to publish or reproduce the published form of this work, or allow others to do so, for US government purposes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA

    Cody J. Wrasman, A. Nolan Wilson, Kristiina Iisa, Abhijit Dutta, Michael S. Talmadge, Michael B. Griffin, Calvin Mukarakate, Joshua A. Schaidle & Mark R. Nimlos

  2. RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Ofei D. Mante & David C. Dayton

  3. ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ, USA

    Sundararajan Uppili & Xiaochun Xu

  4. Johnson Matthey Technology Centre, Billingham, UK

    Michael J. Watson

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  1. Cody J. Wrasman
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Correspondence to Joshua A. Schaidle or Mark R. Nimlos.

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M.J.W. is an employee of Johnson Matthey and declares that he is bound by confidentiality arrangements that prevent him from disclosing details of competing interests in this work.

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Wrasman, C.J., Wilson, A.N., Mante, O.D. et al. Catalytic pyrolysis as a platform technology for supporting the circular carbon economy. Nat Catal 6, 563–573 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-023-00985-6

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