WASTE VALORIZATION FOR ALTERNATIVE FUEL PRODUCTION: A COMPARATIVE REVIEW BETWEEN LIGNOCELLULOSIC BIOMASS FERMENTATION AND PLASTIC PYROLYSIS

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven the development of processes capable of converting waste into fuels and value-added products. This paper presents a comparative bibliographic review between lignocellulosic biomass fermentation and plastic pyrolysis, aiming to identify differences, complementarities, and technical criteria to guide investment decisions and public waste management policies in Brazil. The literature search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect, prioritizing publications with quantitative data comparable between the routes. In the biochemical route, cellulose and hemicellulose are hydrolyzed to fermentable sugars; however, the presence of lignin imposes structural barriers requiring specific pretreatments and inhibitor mitigation strategies. In the thermochemical route, polymeric chain scission predominantly yields C5–C20 hydrocarbons, with zeolitic catalysts favoring selectivity toward liquid fractions. Comparative analysis reveals fundamental differences in conversion principles, technological bottlenecks, and performance metrics. In the Brazilian context, results indicate strategic complementarity between the routes, with fermentation targeting agroindustrial biomass waste valorization and pyrolysis as an alternative for chemical recycling of urban plastics. Advances in efficient pretreatments, robust microorganism development, and selective catalytic systems will be crucial for expanding the industrial application of these technologies.