Efficient drying is crucial for the preservation and high-value utilization of tricholoma matsutake (TM). Traditional hot-air drying is inefficient, energy-intensive, and prone to quality degradation. This study investigates the application of microwave drying for TM, systematically analyzing its dielectric properties and moisture states, and elucidating the dielectric response mechanisms during drying. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize key process parameters, including microwave power, drying time, and sample mass, and to validate the feasibility of the optimized process for industrial applications. Results revealed that the dehydration process of TM comprises three distinct stages, with free water evaporation contributing 69.8% of the total weight loss. Dielectric properties correlated strongly with apparent density and temperature, with the loss tangent ($\mathit{tan}\delta$) increasing by 213.0% at higher temperatures, confirming dipole loss as the primary heating mechanism. Under optimized drying conditions (power: 620.00 W, time: 2.70 min, mass: 13.2 g), a dehydration rate (DR) of 85.41% was achieved, with a 1.50% deviation from the model-predicted values. The optimized process effectively maintained the relative integrity of the microstructure of TM, with the C/O ratio increasing from 1.03 to 1.31. Steam pressure-driven moisture migration was identified as the primary mechanism facilitating microwave-enhanced dehydration. Pilot-scale experiments scaled up the processing capacity to 15 kg/h and confirmed that the new process reduced total costs by 38% compared to traditional hot-air drying. The study developed an efficient and reliable microwave drying model, supporting industrial-scale TM processing.

Catalytic pyrolysis has emerged as a promising approach for converting waste plastics into high-value-added chemicals and fuels. This study aims to investigate the effect of calcination temperature on the catalytic performance of FeCoO_x/Al₂O₃ catalysts for high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pyrolysis and to optimize the catalyst preparation conditions for maximizing valuable product yields. FeCoO_x/Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized via a hydrothermal method and calcined at various temperatures (300–700 °C). The results demonstrate that calcination temperature significantly influences product distribution: gas yield increased with rising calcination temperature, whereas carbon yield, hydrogen yield, and hydrogen content decreased accordingly. Among all tested temperatures, the catalyst calcined at 500 °C achieved the optimal performance, yielding solid carbon at 23.0 wt. % with a hydrogen content of 80 vol.%. This superior performance can be attributed to its larger specific surface area, a richer pore structure, and better reducibility compared to those calcined at higher temperatures, which also facilitated the formation of solid carbon with the highest degree of graphitization and purity. This work provides technical guidance for the high-value utilization of waste plastics through catalytic pyrolysis.