Textile waste valorization via gasification: A comparative experimental study of different gasifying agents
César Gracia-Monforte, Gonzalo Zapata, Zainab Afailal, Gloria Gea, J. Arauzo
Abstract
This study explores the gasification of textile waste at 900 °C using different gasifying agents: air, CO 2 , and mixtures with steam. The research focuses on evaluating the composition and quality of the produced syngas, the characteristics of the generated tars, and the energy balance of the process for each gasifying agent. The results indicate that air is the most efficient gasifying agent from an energy perspective, yielding a well-balanced syngas composition. However, the introduction of steam alongside air enhances syngas quality by increasing the H 2 /CO ratio, making it more suitable for energy and chemical applications. This improvement comes at the expense of higher tar production, which may require additional treatment. Conversely, CO 2 as a gasifying agent maximizes gas yield and cold gas efficiency, showing potential for improved process performance. Similar trends are observed when these results are compared with gasification studies of other waste materials, reinforcing the viability of textile waste as a feedstock for thermochemical conversion. These findings suggest that textile waste gasification could be a promising alternative for energy recovery, reducing environmental impact while contributing to circular economy strategies. • Textile waste (TW) gasification can reduce residue by 50–70 %wt. • TW gasification yields a gas production of 1–2 m 3 (STP)/kg TW . • TW steam gasification (S/C = 1.5) results in the highest H 2 /CO ratio (1.4). • The syngas LHV is 4–9 MJ/kg TW higher than the energy required for TW gasification. • From an energy perspective, air and CO 2 gasification offered the best results.