• Energy Research

Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis (MAP) of the plastic fraction of Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) from end-life computers was run with different absorbers and set-ups in a multimode batch reactor. A large amount of various different liquid fractions (up to 76.6wt%) were formed together with a remarkable reduction of the solid residue (up to 14.2wt%). The liquid fractions were characterized using the following different techniques: FT-IR ATR, 1H NMR and a quantitative GC-MS analysis. The liquid fractions showed low density and viscosity, together with a high concentration of useful chemicals such as styrene (up to 117.7mg/mL), xylenes (up to 25.6mg/mL for p-xylene) whereas halogenated compounds were absent or present in a very low amounts.

Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis (MAP) of the plastic fraction of Waste from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) from end-life computers was run with different absorbers and set-ups in a multimode batch reactor. A large amount of various different liquid fractions (up to 76.6wt%) were formed together with a remarkable reduction of the solid residue (up to 14.2wt%). The liquid fractions were characterized using the following different techniques: FT-IR ATR, 1H NMR and a quantitative GC-MS analysis. The liquid fractions showed low density and viscosity, together with a high concentration of useful chemicals such as styrene (up to 117.7mg/mL), xylenes (up to 25.6mg/mL for p-xylene) whereas halogenated compounds were absent or present in a very low amounts.

In this research work, we develop a prototype that is able to convert mechanical strain into an electrical signal. To reach this scope, we evaluated the electrical properties of a thermally anneale...

In this research work, we develop a prototype that is able to convert mechanical strain into an electrical signal. To reach this scope, we evaluated the electrical properties of a thermally anneale...

The European ban on internal combustion engines has raised several questions from both the automotive players and society. The proliferation of electric vehicles is struggling as it is facing issues related to energy supply and distribution and to infrastructure availability. These problems are considerably different across the various countries. It is consequently a tough challenge to provide a worldwide comprehensive evaluation. In this paper we first outline the common problems to later move to provide a clear picture of the Italian scenario, starting from the available data related to mobility for the period 2018–2022. We outline the main problems to be tackled and the related costs. Italy is an interesting and representative case as it is bound to the timeline set by the European green transition.

The European ban on internal combustion engines has raised several questions from both the automotive players and society. The proliferation of electric vehicles is struggling as it is facing issues related to energy supply and distribution and to infrastructure availability. These problems are considerably different across the various countries. It is consequently a tough challenge to provide a worldwide comprehensive evaluation. In this paper we first outline the common problems to later move to provide a clear picture of the Italian scenario, starting from the available data related to mobility for the period 2018–2022. We outline the main problems to be tackled and the related costs. Italy is an interesting and representative case as it is bound to the timeline set by the European green transition.

Biochar is the solid residue that is recovered after the thermal cracking of biomasses in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Biochar has been used for many years as a soil amendment and in general soil applications. Nonetheless, biochar is far more than a mere soil amendment. In this review, we report all the non-soil applications of biochar including environmental remediation, energy storage, composites, and catalyst production. We provide a general overview of the recent uses of biochar in material science, thus presenting this cheap and waste-derived material as a high value-added and carbonaceous source.