Amaranthus retroflexus or redroot pigweed is a second generation lignocellulosic fuel. Each biomass sample (leaves, inflorescences and stems) was pyrolyzed in a lab-scale furnace, in a nitrogen atmosphere under non-isothermal conditions at heating rates of 10 °C/min until the furnace temperature reached 550 °C. The pyrolysis characteristics of the three major components were also studied through thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal decomposition of the biomass samples is similar to the process of pyrolysis of lignocellulosic materials and proceeds in three main stages: dehydration, devolatilization, and carbonation. The highest bio-oil yield was obtained for inflorescences (55%) and leaves (45%). Gas chromatography—mass spectrometry analysis was carried out for oil fractions of the pyrolysis liquid from Amaranthus retroflexus. The composition of the pyrolysis oil fraction from the leaves had an overbearing aliphatic hydrocarbon nature whereas the oil fraction from inflorescences and stems was composed mainly of oxygen-containing components. The use of Amaranthus retroflexus biochars can lead to slag formation in power equipment, so it is advisable to use them to produce composite fuel, for example, mixed with coal. The results would help to better understand the thermal behavior of Amaranthus retroflexus biomass and its utilization for fuels or chemicals.

Amaranth is important for the agro-industrial complex. However, when extracting flour and oil from seeds, a lot of waste remains. Waste recycling by co-pyrolysis aims at obtaining new products with high added value. This study examined a combination of A. cruentus (AC) residues and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) waste. The addition of polymer was aimed at obtaining hydrocarbon-rich pyrolysis liquid and biochar. Pyrolysis was performed on an experimental setup, along with thermogravimetry–Fourier infrared spectroscopy–gas chromatography mass spectrometry (TG-FTIR-GC MS), to examine the thermochemical conversion. Experiments were carried out using a thermogravimetric analyzer at heating rates of 5, 10, and 20 °C/min. The average activation energy values for the pyrolysis of the AC/LDPE blend by the Ozawa–Flynn–Wall (OFW) and Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) techniques were 301.39 kJ/mol and 287.69 kJ/mol, respectively. A visual examination of the correlations of the kinetic parameters of AC/LDPE was carried out using the Kriging method. The pyrolysis liquid from AC contains 38.14% hydrocarbons, with the main part being aliphatic hydrocarbons. During the pyrolysis of the AC/LDPE mixture, hydrocarbons were found in the resinous and waxy organic fractions of the pyrolysis liquid. The composition and properties of AC and AC/LDPE biochar are similar, and they can both be applied to agriculture.

With the continuous increase in agricultural waste, its proper management has become a significant environmental and resource management challenge. This study analyzed the co-pyrolysis of digestate (D) from chicken manure biogas residues and sunflower husks (SH). The weight loss, kinetics during decomposition, and thermodynamic parameters of thermochemical conversion were characterized using a synchronous thermal analyzer. The experiments were conducted at heating rates of 5, 10, 20, and 30 °C/min. The average activation energies for the pyrolysis of D90&SH10, D50&SH50, and D10&SH90 mixtures were obtained using the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose method and were 274.95 kJ/mol, 239.37 kJ/mol, and 245.09 kJ/mol, respectively. The average activation energies for the pyrolysis of D90&SH10, D50&SH50, and D10&SH90 mixtures were obtained using the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall method and were 367.32 kJ/mol, 321.23 kJ/mol, and 328.52 kJ/mol, respectively. The average activation energies for the pyrolysis of D90&SH10, D50&SH50, and D10&SH90 mixtures were obtained using the Friedman method and were 445.87 kJ/mol, 395.99 kJ/mol, and 358.29 kJ/mol, respectively. The results of thermodynamic analysis confirm favorable conditions for shifting co-pyrolysis reactions towards the formation of stable products; therefore, the process can be carried out in an energy-efficient method. The material balance of thermochemical conversion indicates the potential for producing solid and liquid materials. The results of this study provide valuable information on co-pyrolysis, which contributes to its implementation as an efficient and environmentally friendly waste management strategy.