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Abstract This study examines the microwave‐assisted catalytic pyrolysis (MACP) of individual and blended textiles (cotton, polyester, nylon 6) using ZnO and a ZnO/natural zeolite catalyst. In a custom‐built microwave reactor operated at 500°C, 1 kW power, and a 15‐min residence time, textile wastes were pyrolyzed. The produced char, oil, and gas were collected and analyzed for their compositions and properties. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) test results showed that cotton char had a significantly higher surface area than polyester and nylon (81 vs. 53 and 30 m 2 /g, respectively). Bio‐oil composition was highly dependent on feedstock: amines and nitrogenous compounds dominated nylon, while polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were main products from polyester. Co‐pyrolysis of binary and ternary mixtures (1:1 and 1:1:1 mass ratios) revealed notable deviations from predicted additive behaviour. For example, the cotton‐polyester blend produced a gas mainly composed of CO (79 vol.%). The nylon‐polyester blend showed a significant reduction in PAHs and an increase in H 2 . The addition of a ZnO/zeolite catalyst consistently improved deoxygenation and changed gas composition, notably increasing CO and CO 2 yields from nylon while reducing H 2 . These results suggest that catalyst‐modified co‐pyrolysis is a promising approach for valorizing mixed textile components, leading to higher‐quality syngas and fewer undesirable compounds in the pyrolysis oil, and thus potential improvements in the process's environmental and economic efficiency.
Alizadeh et al. (Tue,) studied this question.