Frequently asked questions

Pyrolysis is a commercially proven manufacturing process that converts carbonaceous materials such as coal, plastics, tires, and biomass into a synthesis gas (Pyrogas). This gas can then be used as fuel for power generation or further processed into liquid fuels. It is an efficient technology that produces high-value products from low-value feedstock such as many waste products.

ARTI Pyrogas is comprised primarily of hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Pyrogas can be combusted to produce electric power or used to produce a variety of other chemicals and fuels. The pyrogas produced by in-situ coal pyrolysis also produces a high-purity CO2 byproduct, which is efficiently removed from the pyrogas stream.

Pyrolysis is a clean, flexible, and reliable way of turning waste into clean energy. For electricity production it provides significant environmental and cost benefits compared to traditional combustion technologies: Pyrogas is cleaned before combustion which reduces air pollutants. Pyrolysis enables the use of low-value feedstocks to produce energy. CO2 can be cost-effectively captured from the pyrolysis process. It can use abundant, low-value feedstocks to produce high-value products.

Pyrolysis-based systems offer significant environmental advantages over competing technologies. These include reduced air emissions through CO2 capture, the ability to sequester carbon dioxide cost-effectively before it is vented to the atmosphere, and the ability to use low-carbon syngas for combined cycle power generation — achieving air emission levels much lower than conventional coal or natural gas-fired generation.

Pyrolysis can compete effectively in high-cost energy environments. It converts abundant low-value feedstocks into high-value products including pyrolysis gas, carbon black, and liquid fuels. By processing waste streams that would otherwise require costly disposal, operators can generate revenue while solving waste management challenges.

Biomass is organic matter, and pyrolysis takes what is usually thrown away and turns it into energy. Our technology allows businesses and industry to operate using their own waste streams — pallets, boxes, paper, agricultural materials from farming, milling and ranching. We use clean technology to extract the stored energy from these materials and create heating, electricity, and other useful outputs.

Ethanol and biomass pyrolysis require very different processes. Ethanol is produced through the breakdown of starches and sugars in a low oxygen environment to create alcohol fuel. Biomass pyrolysis involves heating biomass to create gases for use in various applications. The two processes differ significantly in feedstock requirements, outputs, and scalability.

Thermal distillation, commonly known as pyrolysis, dates back nearly three hundred years. It was widely used throughout England, France, and Germany to create liquid fuels from solid carbon-based materials such as coal. Pyrolysis was the most viable method to create liquid fuels before petroleum fuels became widely accessible. As petroleum and natural gas became more profitable, pyrolysis fell out of favor — but today it is experiencing a renaissance as a clean alternative to landfill and incineration.

ARTI systems can process a wide range of feedstocks including municipal solid waste (MSW), post-consumer plastics, tires, bio-solids, biomass, animal waste, human waste, medical waste, agricultural byproducts, coal, and more. Our systems are engineered and configured based on the specific feedstock type and volume for each project.

Our Super Low Emission (SLE) burners achieve the lowest NOx emission levels in the world — 5 to 9 PPM NOx and 20 to 50 PPM CO — while operating at actual oxygen levels of 3.0% or lower. All ARTI SLE burners meet South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) requirements and can operate on a variety of fuels including light oil, heavy oil, propane, landfill gas, digester gas, and pyro gases.

ARTI has successfully deployed over 20 systems across 10 countries worldwide, including installations in the United States, China, Australia, Romania, Italy, Turkey, Korea, Slovakia, and Aruba. Our largest single installation processes 73,000 tons of tires per year in Dalian, China.

ARTI uses a proprietary hybrid electrochemical process that can clean all types of industrial wastewater — without using any chemicals. The system uses multiple electrochemical processes including electrocoagulation, electrooxidation, electroflotation, and electrodialysis, achieving an average 90% recovery rate into drinkable water. Systems are fully automated, have a small footprint, and meet all US EPA and county permitting requirements.

The best first step is to contact our engineering team with details about your feedstock type, estimated volume, location, and project goals. We offer free initial consultations and can provide feasibility assessments, system specifications, and project proposals tailored to your specific waste stream and energy needs.