Microwave Process Innovation Centre
Solve. Re-Solve.
The mission of the Microwave Process Innovation Centre is to continue the development of the Pyrowave platform. Our research team is at the forefront of the application and control of microwaves in multiple patented applications, aiming to develop the next generation of low carbon chemical processes.
- Consolidate and optimize the polystyrene recycling platform by improving its robustness, efficiency and automation.
- Expand the range of processed (mixed) plastics and the markets we can serve.
- Develop new applications of the Pyrowave platform to other wastes, polymers, rubbers and materials, aiming at a circularity of resources.
- Work towards the electrification of chemical processes, by applying the microwave platform to the manufacturing industry in order to reduce energy consumption and increase yield, thus reducing the carbon footprint.
The patented Pyrowave technology platform is a Canadian innovation that uses the power of microwaves on an industrial scale in the production of chemicals with very high yields and can be powered by renewable energy. This innovation reduces the environmental impact of the products and the waste generated by these processes.
This scientific breakthrough, which combines electrical and chemical engineering, opens the way to new low-carbon applications. The innovation centre has been the source of numerous scientific publications. These scientific publications are sometimes also the result of a collaboration, in particular with international research partners as well as recognized universities, on the effect of microwaves on fluids. Our laboratory is equipped with a small-scale microwave reactor, a world first, allowing us to conduct tests on new materials. Our factory and laboratory teams collaborate continuously, especially when conducting customer tests on different materials or producing commercial grade samples for industrial testing.
Our team of experienced researchers is working to optimize the current technology and to further develop this microwave platform for other applications, such as the electrification of chemical and low-carbon processes. This approach has many benefits: first, it avoids the extraction of virgin raw materials and therefore avoids all the environmental impacts associated with the transformation of these virgin materials into finished products. Moreover, thanks to microwaves, an electrical process, Pyrowave technology now makes it possible to incorporate renewable energy into the industrial production of chemical products, which is traditionally based on fossil energy sources, such as the production of plastics. By continuing its development within its Centre of Excellence in microwave technologies, Pyrowave technology is intended to become a platform for the next generation of sustainable processes, contributing to a lower carbon manufacturing industry.
The power
of a sustainable solution
Scientific Publications
Discover the scientific publications of our innovation centre to learn more about the pioneering work in process electrification of our team.
Review articles
- Article in the Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering (paying) :
Chaouki, J., Farag, S., Attia, M., & Doucet, J. (2020). The development of industrial (thermal) processes in the context of sustainability : The case for microwave heating. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 98(4), 832‑847.
https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.23710
Research articles
- Article in the Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis (available on request) :
Doucet, J., Chaouki, J., & Leclerc, P. (2018, 1 mars). Development of a microwave thermogravimetric analyzer and its application on polystyrene microwave pyrolysis kinetics. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis.
https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0165237017308744 - Article available with a subscription:
Doucet, J., Laviolette, J. P., Farag, S., & Chaouki, J. (2013). Distributed Microwave Pyrolysis of Domestic Waste. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 5(1), 1‑10.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-013-9216-0 - Microwave Heating-Assisted Catalytic Dry Reforming of Methane to Syngas
- Article available on request :
Farag, S., Sobhy, A., Akyel, C., Doucet, J., & Chaouki, J. (2012b). Temperature profile prediction within selected materials heated by microwaves at 2.45GHz. Applied Thermal Engineering, 36, 360‑369.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2011.10.049 - Article available on request :
Chaouki, J., & Doucet, J. (2019). Biomimetic Apply to Waste Recycling. The 5th World Congress on New Technologies. Published.
https://doi.org/10.11159/icepr19.01
Book chapters
- Chapter available for purchase :
J.-P. Laviolette, P. Leclerc, A. Enferadi Kerenkan, A. Eslami, & J. Doucet
(2021). Monomer Recycling of Addition Polymers. In Circular Economy of Polymers : Topics in Recycling Technologies (Vol. 1391, p. 105‑128). ACS Publications. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2021-1391.ch006
Innovative projects
The projects of the innovation centre aim to develop the application of the Pyrowave modular technology platform to other plastics, but also to extend its applications to other industries.
MICHELIN X PYROWAVE
The joint development agreement between Pyrowave and Michelin will result in the implementation of new value chains in the circular plastics economy. Redesigning new packaging or manufacturing new products from recycled plastics in the automotive will become possible.
The collaboration aims to fast track the industrialization of Pyrowave technology with a view to a certification and commercial roll-out in international markets. The joint development agreement, which will ultimately account for an investment of more than €20 million, combines Pyrowave's expertise with Michelin's industrial know-how.
POLYTECHNIQUE MONTRÉAL X PYROWAVE
Polytechnique Montréal and Pyrowave have received $173,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for a research project designed to electrify chemical processes, a promising avenue in the current context of transition to renewable energy and the circular economy.
The collaboration between our two organizations will initially make it possible to conduct experimental tests and develop models at the Polytechnique Montréal Laboratory. Later, the team will be able to validate the results obtained on an industrial scale, using our PW6’s microwave reactor. This project is unique in the world and demonstrates the strong potential from the symbiosis between an innovative industrial partner and academic research.
