Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) solid waste is characterized by widespread availability, renewability, and substantial production volume. In the context of the "dual carbon" goals, the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste for producing fuel gas for recycling in pharmaceutical production has emerged as a crucial strategy for optimizing the energy structure in the TCM industry and developing renewable energy. This paper comprehensively reviews both internal and external factors that influence the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste. Internal factors encompass moisture content, particle size, ash content, and the morphology of the raw materials, while external factors include pyrolysis conditions, equivalence ratios, types of gasifiers, and gasifying agents. Furthermore, this paper details the challenges associated with the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste, such as the dispersion of feedstocks, the diversity of resources, the complexity of the pyrolysis process, and the variations in gasifier performance. Finally, this paper proposes measures to address these challenges. This paper aims to provide insights into the development of a circular economy for TCM resources and the advancement of low-carbon energy utilization in the TCM industry.
Pyrolysis ; Carbon/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Solid Waste/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Gases/chemistry*

With the advantages of extensive sources, easy collection, renewability, high yield, carbon circulation, low pollution, and so on, Chinese medicinal solid waste can be converted into clean gas by pyrolysis and gasification, which is then able to serve for industrial production. This is of great practical significance in the context of energy shortage and for solid waste recycling in China. This paper reviews the research progress on biomass gasification principle, gasification medium, and reactor in gasification technology of Chinese medicinal solid waste in recent years. Meanwhile, based on the summary of related research, the defects and improvement measures regarding raw materials, gasification agents, by-products, and reactors were discussed, which provides direction for further development in the gasification technology of Chinese medicinal solid waste in the future.
Biomass ; China ; Pyrolysis ; Solid Waste ; Technology