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Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies ›Institute of Environmental Technology ›Science and research ›Research groups ›Industrial Chemistry

Industrial Chemistry

At the laboratory of thermochemical processes, the focus of our research is on the valorization of wastes by thermochemical treatment. We perform both fundamental and applied research. Our research can be divided in two main parts.

The first part deals with the processing of waste biomass with an aim to obtain products with a higher added value. We perform pyrolysis for the production of biochar, carbonization to produce activated carbon sorbents and torrefaction to obtain coal-like high-energy-density materials.

The second part of our research deals with the chemical recycling of waste plastics. Chemical recycling offers the possibility of transforming waste polymeric materials back to their original monomers or other valuable chemicals which can be used as feedstocks in chemical and petrochemical industries. At our laboratory, we carry out thermal and thermo-catalytic pyrolysis for the chemical recycling of waste plastics.

Last but not least, we deal with hydrogen production using the catalytic (dry and steam) reforming of waste gases emerging from thermochemical treatment of both biomass and waste plastics.

Research activities

  • Waste management and recycling of solid and liquid wastes.
  • Valorization of waste polymeric materials by thermal and thermo-catalytic treatment (Chemical Recycling).
  • Sorbent production from waste carbonaceous materials for the adsorption of pollutants in air and water.

Basic equipment

  • Batch pyrolysis reactor (max. volume: 10 dm3, max temperature: 800-850 °C).
  • Batch pyrolysis reactor (max. volume: 0.5 dm3, max. temperature 1000 °C).
  • Pilot scale continuous pyrolysis unit (max. feed rate: 2 kg/h)
  • Microwave reactor (power up to 1 kW).
  • One and two stage test rigs for thermo-catalytic pyrolysis.
  • Test rig for dry reforming of methane and/or pyrolysis vapors.
  • Plasma (Gliding Arc) process module for VOC removal.

Offered services

  • Material and energy balances for thermal treatment of biomass, general and hazardous wastes.
  • Analysis of gaseous and liquids products resulting from waste treatment.
  • Determination of water content by Karl Fischer titration.

Research team

Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D.
Dr.-Ing. Amer Inayat
Ing. Barbora Grycová, Ph.D.
Ing. Kateřina Klemencová, Ph.D.
Ing. Jakub Korpas, Ph.D.
Ing. Jana Strakošová
Mgr. Rozálie Wdówková

Contact

Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D.
e-mail:
tel.: 00420 597 32 7330
mobil: 00420 608 917 261

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Publishing and scientific activity

Conference paper

FIEDOR, Jiří, Barbora GRYCOVÁ, Veronika BLAHŮŠKOVÁ, Pavel LEŠTINSKÝ, Marek VELIČKA and Hana OVČAČÍKOVÁ. Waste incineration products stabilizing concerning legislative requirements in landfill leakage lisks assessments. In: AIP Conference Proceedings. Volume 2672. New York: American Institute of Physics, 2023. p. 1-6. ISBN 978-0-7354-4325-9. [Detail]
GRYCOVÁ, Barbora, Kateřina KLEMENCOVÁ and Pavel LEŠTINSKÝ. Technological Regulation of biochar production from Miscanthus waste. In: TVIP 2022 : Týden výzkumu a inovací pro praxi a životní prostředí : konference APROCHEM a symposium Odpadové fórum : 20.-22.9.2022, Hustopeče u Brna. Praha: CEMC-České ekologické manažerské centrum, 2022. p. 129. ISBN 978-80-85990-39-3. [Detail]
FIEDOR, Jiří, Barbora GRYCOVÁ, Veronika BLAHŮŠKOVÁ, Pavel LEŠTINSKÝ, Marek VELIČKA and Hana OVČAČÍKOVÁ. Waste incineration products stabilizing concerning legislative requirements in landfill leakage risks assessments. In: 39th Meeting of Departments of Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynanic : proceedings of abstracts : 13.-15.10. 2021, Horní Bečva, Czech Republic. Ostrava: VŠB - Technical University of Ostrava, 2021. p. 46. ISBN 978-80-248-4557-9. [Detail]
KLEMENCOVÁ, Kateřina, Barbora GRYCOVÁ, Amer INAYAT and Pavel LEŠTINSKÝ. THERMO-CATALYTIC DEGRADATION OF POLYSTYRENE OVER Α-FE2O3. In: NANOCON 2020 : 12th International Conference on Nanomaterials - Research & Application : conference proceedings : October 21-23, 2020, Brno, Czech Republic, EU. Ostrava: Tanger, 2021. p. 267-271. ISBN 978-80-87294-98-7. [Detail]
LEŠTINSKÝ, Pavel, Silvie VALLOVÁ, Jana FOJTÁŠKOVÁ, Alexandr MARTAUS and Marta VALÁŠKOVÁ. Characterization of acid-base centres of vermiculite/a-fe2o3 nanoparticles catalyst applied for depolymerization of polystyrene. In: NANOCON 2019 : 11th International Conference on Nanomaterials - Research & Application : conference proceedings : peer reviewed : October 16th-18th 2019, Hotel Voronez I, Brno, Czech Republic, EU. Ostrava: Tanger, 2020. p. 596-601. ISBN 978-80-87294-95-6. [Detail]
VEČEŘ, Marek, Pavel LEŠTINSKÝ, Kamil WICHTERLE and Marek RŮŽIČKA. BUBBLE RISING IN COUNTERCURRENT FLOW. In: 12th International Conference on MULTIPHASE FLOW IN INDUSTRIAL PLANTS. Řím: Italian Federation Of Industrial Plant Engineering, 2012. p. 121-132. ISBN 978-88-89677-22-3. [Detail]
LEŠTINSKÝ, Pavel, Petri VÄYRYNEN and Marek VEČEŘ. Two phase hydrodynamics of Pachuca tank reactor: experiments vs. CFD simulation. In: 18th International Student's Day of Metallurgy : proceedings. Knittelfeld,: ASMET, Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials, 2011. p. 118-123. ISBN 978-3-200-02155-6. [Detail]
LEŠTINSKÝ, Pavel, Petri VÄYRYNEN, Marek VEČEŘ and Kamil WICHTERLE. Effect of geometry parameters on two phase hydrodynamics of Pachuca tank: experiment vs. CFD simulation. In: 38th International Conference of Slovak Society of Chemical. Bratislava: Slovenská technická univerzita, 2011. p. 55. ISBN 978-80-227-3503-2. [Detail]
LEŠTINSKÝ, Pavel, Marek VEČEŘ and Kamil WICHTERLE. Three phase hydrodynamics of Pachuca tank reactor. In: 19th International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering CHISA 2010. 7th Europan Congress of Chemical Engineering 7. Praha, Česká republika: Process Engineering Publisher, Ing. Jan Novosad, 2010. p. 1057-1057. ISBN 978-80-02-02248-0. [Detail]
LEŠTINSKÝ, Pavel, Marek VEČEŘ, Kateřina SMUTNÁ and Kamil WICHTERLE. Effect of geometry parameters on hydrodynamics of Pachuca tank. In: 37th International Conference of Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering. Bratislava: Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, 2010. p. 1290-1296. ISBN 978-80-227-3290-1. [Detail]
SMUTNÁ, Kateřina, Pavel LEŠTINSKÝ, Marek VEČEŘ and Kamil WICHTERLE. Splitting of bubbles in counterflow. In: 37th International Conference of Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering. Bratislava: Slovak Society of Chemical Engineering, 2010. p. 280-285. ISBN 978-80-227-3290-1. [Detail]

Final work

2022/2023

Title Name of student Supervisor Type
Výroba aromátů a lehkých olefinů katalytickou pyrolýzou odpadních polyolefinů
(Production of aromatics and light olefins by catalytic pyrolysis of waste polyolefines) 		Bc. Taťána Barvíková Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Bachelors

2021/2022

Title Name of student Supervisor Type
Výroba vodíku reformováním uhlovodíků s CO2
(Hydrogen production by dry remorming of hydrocarbons) 		Bc. Jiří Hrbáč Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Bachelors

2019/2020

Title Name of student Supervisor Type
Výroba vodíku pomocí suchého reformování uhlovodíků
(Hydrogen production using dry reforming of hydrocarbons) 		Ing. Zdeněk Zikmund Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Masters

2018/2019

Title Name of student Supervisor Type
Recyklace odpadních polymerů pomocí termochemických a katalytických procesů
(Recycling of the waste polymers using thermochemical and catalytic processes) 		Ing. Denisa Čižíková Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Masters

2017/2018

Title Name of student Supervisor Type
Suché reformování uhlovodíků
(Dry reforming reactions of hydrocarbons) 		Ing. Zdeněk Zikmund Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Bachelors
Využití mikrovlnné pyrolýzy při zpracování odpadní biomasy
(Waste biomass treatment using the microwave pyrolysis) 		Ing. Kristýna Plánková Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Masters

2016/2017

Title Name of student Supervisor Type
Extrakce surového kaprolaktamu
(Extraction of a crude caprolactam) 		Ing. Jana Vaštyl Ing. Pavel Leštinský, Ph.D. Masters