@misc{10481/108699,
year = {2026},
month = {1},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/108699},
abstract = {The rapid growth in plastic production has intensified environmental challenges, while conventional management routes such as recycling or incineration remain limited by costs, pollution, and low circularity. Against this
background, pyrolysis stands out as an essential first stage within multi-step thermochemical routes for plastic
conversion. This review critically evaluates the role of pyrolysis as the primary platform for hydrogen-oriented
valorization schemes, emphasizing its capacity to transform diverse polymeric feedstocks into intermediate gas
and liquid fractions. The influence of operating parameters such as temperature, residence time, heating rate,
and particle size on product distribution and quality is systematically analyzed. Beyond pyrolysis, the review
explores complementary downstream processes, including gasification, catalytic and thermal reforming,
water–gas shift reactions, and plasma-assisted upgrading, highlighting their synergetic role in boosting hydrogen
yield and purity. A comparative discussion of thermal versus catalytic pathways is provided, together with an
overview of emerging integrated configurations. Furthermore, recent techno-economic analyses and life-cycle
assessments are assessed to examine the scalability, energy efficiency, and environmental footprint of these
multi-stage systems. Overall, this review positions pyrolysis not as a standalone solution but as a pivotal enabling
step in advanced thermochemical strategies for sustainable hydrogen production from plastics, contributing to
the development of circular economy models.},
organization = {State Research Agency/10.13039/501100011033 (PID2022–139014OBI00/SRA)},
organization = {MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 - ESF+ (RYC2023–043018-I)},
organization = {Universidad de Granada / CBUA (Open access charge)},
publisher = {Elsevier},
keywords = {Pyrolysis},
keywords = {Plastic waste},
keywords = {Gasification},
title = {Pyrolysis as the gateway thermochemical route for plastic-to-hydrogen-rich gas valorization},
doi = {10.1016/j.jaap.2025.107480},
author = {Quintana, María Alejandra and García-García, G. and Blázquez García, Gabriel and Martín-Lara, M.A. and Calero, M. and Muñoz-Batista, M. J.},
}