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Valorisation of Poultry Feathers Through Pyrolysis: A Pilot-Scale Waste-to-Energy Approach

Krzysztof M. Czajka (), Janusz Skrzypa, Anna M. Kisiela-Czajka, Dominika Kufka and Barbara Rogosz
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Krzysztof M. Czajka: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Janusz Skrzypa: “Poltegor-Institute” Opencast Mining Institute, 51-616 Wrocław, Poland
Anna M. Kisiela-Czajka: Department of Energy Conversion Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
Dominika Kufka: “Poltegor-Institute” Opencast Mining Institute, 51-616 Wrocław, Poland
Barbara Rogosz: “Poltegor-Institute” Opencast Mining Institute, 51-616 Wrocław, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-21

Abstract: Animal farming produces large volumes of underutilised by-products, such as poultry feathers (PF), often discarded in landfills or incinerated, causing environmental concerns. Transforming such residues into valuable energy carriers aligns with sustainable waste-to-energy (WtE) management. Pyrolysis represents a versatile thermochemical pathway for converting organic wastes into gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels. This study investigates slow pyrolysis of PF, lignite (LG), and their blends at pilot scale using a uniquely designed, patent-pending reactor bridging laboratory research with industrial practice. Experiments were conducted at 20 °C·min − 1 , temperatures of 500–800 °C, and pressures from 0.1 to 1.0 MPa. PF pyrolysis produced mainly gas (70.1%), suitable for energy recovery, with smaller fractions of char (15.3%) and oil (14.6%). LG yielded predominantly char (59.9%), with lower gas (32.4%) and oil (7.7%) outputs. Co-pyrolysis revealed limited synergistic effects. Rising temperature promoted gas formation, reduced char, and improved its calorific value through carbon enrichment. Elevated pressure enhanced char yield and unexpectedly increased hydrogen content, suggesting complex thermochemical behaviour. The results confirm the scalability of laboratory findings and highlight pyrolysis as a practical WtE pathway for valorising protein-rich residues and low-rank coals, contributing to cleaner, more sustainable energy systems.

Keywords: industrial-scale thermal conversion; devolatilization; animal by-products; lignite; duck waste; char (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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