Transforming municipal solid waste into petrochemical feedstock through integrated biogas production and process design

Rising demand for sustainable carbon resources and the pressing need to lower greenhouse gas emissions have spurred worldwide initiatives to find creative ways to use municipal solid waste. Provided that methane emissions are properly tracked and reduced, biogas, which is mostly made up of CH 4 and CO 2 , is a renewable and less carbon-intensive substitute for traditional fossil-based fuels. Apart from being a proven direct energy source, biogas is a flexible carbon feedstock for the making of hydrogen, methanol, and light hydrocarbons by means of reforming reactions taken with downstream synthesis reactions. This review thoroughly analyzes recent trends all along the waste-to-carbon value chain. Following upgrading techniques to generate high-quality biomethane, it offers a whole summary of the most recent results on the use of several feedstocks in anaerobic digestion systems. Emerging petrochemical conversion routes are also investigated in light of their present constraints and technical promise. Special attention is given to how pollutants affect process performance, especially how they affect catalyst deactivation and long-term stability across various upgrading technologies. Furthermore thoroughly examined are the contributions of hybrid, membrane-based, and biocatalytic upgrading techniques to raising process efficiency, selectivity, and operational flexibility. Notwithstanding notable progress, the general efficiency and broad-scale applicability of biogas-to-petrochemical conversion systems are limited by elements including site-specific process boundaries, feedstock heterogeneity, upgrading technology choice, methane slip, and carbon utilization efficiency, all of which need to be carefully considered to allow for sustainable application.