Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO2 thermal plasma gasification

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2025.04.007

中国化学工程学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 83 ›› Issue (7): 88-97.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2025.04.007

Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO₂ thermal plasma gasification

Menglong Wang¹, Yanping Yu¹, Baogen Su¹, Wenjun Zhang², Qiwei Yang^1,2

1 Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
2 Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China

收稿日期:2024-11-19 修回日期:2025-03-24 接受日期:2025-04-09 出版日期:2025-07-28 发布日期:2025-07-28
通讯作者: Wenjun Zhang,E-mail:cheungwj@zju.edu.cn;Qiwei Yang,E-mail:yangqw@zju.edu.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFB0301800) and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2015AA020201).

Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO₂ thermal plasma gasification

Menglong Wang¹, Yanping Yu¹, Baogen Su¹, Wenjun Zhang², Qiwei Yang^1,2

1 Key Laboratory of Biomass Chemical Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
2 Institute of Zhejiang University-Quzhou, Quzhou 324000, China

Received:2024-11-19 Revised:2025-03-24 Accepted:2025-04-09 Online:2025-07-28 Published:2025-07-28
Contact: Wenjun Zhang,E-mail:cheungwj@zju.edu.cn;Qiwei Yang,E-mail:yangqw@zju.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFB0301800) and the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (2015AA020201).

摘要/Abstract

摘要： The production of medical waste (MW) is a growing concern, particularly in light of the increasing annual generation and the exacerbating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional techniques such as incineration and landfilling present significant limitations. In this study, a self-designed 50 kW arc plasma reactor was employed to conduct gasification experiments on nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) which served as a model of MW and a mixture of NBR/SiO₂ which served as a model of glass-containing MW, using CO₂ as the working gas. The CO₂ thermal plasma gasification process not only ensures the safe and efficient disposal of MW, but also facilitates its effective conversion into H₂ and CO, achieving a carbon conversion efficiency of 94.52%. The yields of H₂ and CO reached 98.52% and 81.83%, respectively, and the specific energy consumption was as low as 3.55 kW·h·k·g^-1. Furthermore, the addition of SiO₂ was found to inhibit the gasification of NBR and cause damage to the reactor. Therefore, it is recommended that glass waste should be removed prior to the treatment of MW. The CO₂ thermal plasma gasification technology can not only eliminate environmental and health risks posed by MW, but also convert it into syngas for further utilization. This provides a promising approach to the harmless and resource disposal of MW, while also contributing to the comprehensive utilization of greenhouse gases.

关键词: Thermal plasma, Gasification, Medical waste, Syngas, CO₂

Abstract: The production of medical waste (MW) is a growing concern, particularly in light of the increasing annual generation and the exacerbating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional techniques such as incineration and landfilling present significant limitations. In this study, a self-designed 50 kW arc plasma reactor was employed to conduct gasification experiments on nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) which served as a model of MW and a mixture of NBR/SiO₂ which served as a model of glass-containing MW, using CO₂ as the working gas. The CO₂ thermal plasma gasification process not only ensures the safe and efficient disposal of MW, but also facilitates its effective conversion into H₂ and CO, achieving a carbon conversion efficiency of 94.52%. The yields of H₂ and CO reached 98.52% and 81.83%, respectively, and the specific energy consumption was as low as 3.55 kW·h·k·g^-1. Furthermore, the addition of SiO₂ was found to inhibit the gasification of NBR and cause damage to the reactor. Therefore, it is recommended that glass waste should be removed prior to the treatment of MW. The CO₂ thermal plasma gasification technology can not only eliminate environmental and health risks posed by MW, but also convert it into syngas for further utilization. This provides a promising approach to the harmless and resource disposal of MW, while also contributing to the comprehensive utilization of greenhouse gases.

Key words: Thermal plasma, Gasification, Medical waste, Syngas, CO₂

Menglong Wang, Yanping Yu, Baogen Su, Wenjun Zhang, Qiwei Yang. Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO₂ thermal plasma gasification[J]. 中国化学工程学报, 2025, 83(7): 88-97.

Menglong Wang, Yanping Yu, Baogen Su, Wenjun Zhang, Qiwei Yang. Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO₂ thermal plasma gasification[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2025, 83(7): 88-97.

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Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO₂ thermal plasma gasification

Efficient syngas production from medical waste by CO₂ thermal plasma gasification

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