The chemical reaction engineering nowadays is facing the new challenge from the degraded feedstocks of heavy fossil resources and low-value intermediate chemical products. Thermal plasma technique operated at extreme conditions (e.g.

ultra-high temperature) is proposed as a potential means to realize the clean and efficient conversion of materials that are difficult to be handled using the conventional technologies. This work aims to study the pyrolysis performances of representative coal

coal tar and asphaltene materials in thermal plasmas. Experimental investigations were carried out on a lab-scale device to evaluate the pyrolysis characteristics of the feedstocks. The results showed that higher conversion and acetylene yield than coal can be achieved by using coal tar and asphaltene as the feeds. A model to describe the material and energy balances was established based on thermodynamics and the thermal effects in the thermal plasma process. The simulations on 2 MW pilot-plant scales were performed to compare the pyrolysis performances of these feedstocks

and the material and energy flows for these system operated under the same conditions were presented. Furthermore

analysis of pyrolysis with mixed materials showed an improved performance when adding coal tar or asphaltene into the coal pyrolysis system. It is anticipated that this work would provide scientific basis for feedstock selection and feedstock blending in the applications of thermal plasma pyrolysis.