The treatment of medical waste is an important task faced by both medical institutions and waste disposal enterprises, which requires ensuring effective harmless treatment while meeting environmental standards. Anaerobic pyrolysis and high-temperature cooking are two widely used technologies in medical waste treatment. There are significant differences between the two in terms of processing principles, scope of application, and processing effects, especially in anaerobic pyrolysis which exhibits many advantages.

Anaerobic pyrolysis is a high-temperature thermochemical decomposition technology, characterized by heating medical waste to 400-1000 ℃ in an oxygen deficient or anaerobic environment to decompose it into combustible gases, liquid tar, and solid carbides. Through this process, the complex organic compounds in the waste are thoroughly decomposed, and the by-products can also be used for energy recovery. This technology requires equipment to have strict airtightness and high temperature tolerance.

In contrast, high-temperature steaming is a physical treatment method that uses saturated steam to sterilize medical waste. Under normal conditions of 121-134 ℃ and 2 atmospheres, heating waste can effectively kill pathogens, but the chemical composition and form of the waste itself remain unchanged. This method mainly serves the purpose of sterilization and cannot completely decompose the material.

Anaerobic pyrolysis achieves waste decomposition through high temperature, with operating temperatures above 400 ℃ and up to 1000 ℃. This high-temperature treatment can not only kill pathogens, but also decompose complex organic compounds such as plastics and polymer materials in waste, achieving significant reductions in volume and mass. On the other hand, high-temperature steaming and boiling typically only treat waste at a temperature of 121-134 ℃, mainly for sterilization purposes, and cannot change the physical form of the waste. Therefore, the waste treated by high-temperature steaming still needs further processing or landfilling.

Anaerobic pyrolysis is suitable for various types of medical waste, especially waste with high calorific value and high plastic content, such as disposable syringes, plastic containers, and other polymer materials. These wastes will decompose into combustible gases and tar during the pyrolysis process, providing the possibility for energy recovery. High temperature steaming is mainly used for the treatment of infectious waste, such as surgical gowns, gauze, medical plastic equipment, etc. Its scope of application is relatively limited, and it is powerless for chemical waste and complex organic waste.

A significant advantage of anaerobic pyrolysis is that the by-products generated during its treatment process can be utilized as resources. The combustible gas formed after waste cracking can be used for power generation or heating, while the solid residue is usually an inert carbide that can be further processed into building materials. This energy recovery mechanism enables anaerobic pyrolysis to have both processing and resource utilization functions. In contrast, the waste treated by high-temperature steaming still needs to be further incinerated or landfilled, resulting in lower resource utilization and higher subsequent processing costs.

Anaerobic pyrolysis operates under anaerobic conditions, resulting in significantly lower levels of harmful substances such as dioxins in its exhaust compared to traditional incineration. However, the exhaust may still contain volatile organic compounds and trace amounts of harmful gases, so it is necessary to equip efficient exhaust treatment devices to ensure compliance with emissions standards. The high-temperature cooking process itself does not produce harmful gases, but the wastewater generated needs further treatment to prevent environmental pollution. Overall, anaerobic pyrolysis has stronger environmental performance, especially with the improvement of exhaust gas treatment technology, which can achieve almost zero pollution emissions.

The high technological content, sealing and high temperature resistance requirements of anaerobic pyrolysis equipment result in high construction and operation costs. However, in the long run, anaerobic pyrolysis can significantly reduce overall treatment costs through the energy utilization of by-products and waste reduction effects. High temperature steaming equipment has lower costs and is suitable for small and medium-sized medical institutions, but its treatment effect is single and requires supporting other treatment facilities, indirectly increasing the overall process cost.

From the above comparison, it can be seen that anaerobic pyrolysis occupies an important position in medical waste treatment technology due to its characteristics of high-temperature cracking, diversified waste treatment capabilities, and resource utilization. Its advantages are mainly reflected in the following points:

Anaerobic pyrolysis can decompose complex materials such as plastics and polymer compounds, with a wide range of applications, especially suitable for comprehensive medical waste treatment. Through high-temperature cracking, the volume and mass of waste are significantly reduced, reducing the pressure on subsequent landfill or storage. The combustible gases and tar generated by waste pyrolysis can be used as energy sources, bringing economic benefits to enterprises while reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. After the improvement of exhaust gas treatment technology, the pollution emissions of anaerobic pyrolysis are extremely low, making it a clean and environmentally friendly medical waste treatment technology.

Despite the high initial investment and operating costs of anaerobic pyrolysis equipment, its long-term economic benefits and environmental advantages are obvious. In the future, with the increasing demand for medical waste treatment and increasingly strict environmental regulations, anaerobic pyrolysis technology will play a greater role in the field of medical waste treatment.

Anaerobic pyrolysis and high-temperature cooking, as two medical waste treatment technologies, each have their own applicable scenarios and characteristics. Anaerobic pyrolysis is significantly superior to high-temperature cooking in terms of processing capacity, resource utilization, and environmental performance, making it suitable for centralized treatment of large-scale and complex waste. High temperature steaming is more suitable for simple processing needs of small and medium-sized, mainly infectious waste. For medical waste treatment enterprises, reasonable selection of technology or combination of two technologies can achieve a balance between economic benefits and environmental protection while ensuring harmless treatment.

Yongle Environmental Protection is mainly engaged in the research and development, production and sales of complete sets of technical equipment for organic solid waste disposal and comprehensive utilization. Production and manufacturing, domestic waste treatment equipment, tire pyrolysis equipment, medical waste disposal equipment, hazardous waste disposal equipment, and achieve efficient and comprehensive utilization of resources through independently developed low-temperature anaerobic pyrolysis equipment technology solutions.

Tags：Comparison between anaerobic pyrolysis and high-temperature steaming of medical waste treatment equipment,medical waste treatment equipment,YONGLE GROUP