A Comprehensive Review on Plasma-Catalytic Valorization of Hydrocarbon Wastes into Advanced Nanocarbons and Clean Hydrogen

Subject Areas : Journal of Environmental Friendly Materials

K kolahgar Azari ¹ , Sh Damghanian ² , H Sabet ³ , A Sayadi ⁴

1 - Composite Engineering Research Institute, Malek Ashtar University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
2 - Iran University of Science and Technology - IUST
3 - Department of Materials Engineering, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran
4 - sharif university of technology

Received: 2025-08-04 Accepted : 2025-12-11 Published : 2025-12-18

Keywords: Plasma pyrolysis, hydrocarbon waste, circular economy, waste valorization, nanotechnology,

Abstract :

This authoritative review examines plasma-catalytic conversion as a transformative technology for valorizing non-recyclable hydrocarbon wastes, including plastics, petroleum sludge, and electronic waste (e-waste), into high-value products such as graphene, carbon nano-onions (CNOs), and clean hydrogen. Synthesizing insights from over 220 studies, including 190 peer-reviewed articles and 30 industry reports, we demonstrate that microwave-assisted plasma pyrolysis achieves a 95% carbon conversion efficiency with net-negative emissions of -150 kg CO₂ per ton of waste processed. Industrial scalability is evidenced by Elemental Advanced Materials’ $20M-funded facility, yielding 22% graphene from polyolefins with 99.8% hydrogen purity. Waste-derived nanocarbons exhibit 60-75% lower embedded carbon compared to conventional materials, enabling superior performance in energy storage, construction, electronics, tribology, biomedical applications, and water purification. This review provides a rigorous analysis of plasma-catalyst interactions, feedstock variability, engineering challenges, economic viability, and environmental benefits. We identify critical research priorities, including non-noble metal catalyst optimization, integration with carbon capture and renewable energy systems, and AI-driven feedstock sorting, to enable gigaton-scale deployment. The technology’s potential to address the global waste crisis while fostering a circular carbon economy is underscored, with a roadmap for overcoming technical, regulatory, and market barriers

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