The Research and Postgraduate Centre congratulates Tee Meng Yang, Asst. Prof. Dr. Wong Ka-Lun, Dr Terri Zhuan Ean Lee and Asst. Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Mong Guo Ren from the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, for publishing an article “Investigating waste valorization potential through the co-pyrolysis of waste activated sludge and polyethylene terephthalate: Analysis on thermal degradation behavior, kinetic properties and by-products” in Energy Conversion and Management.

Energy Conversion and Management, an SCI Q1 journal with an impact factor of 9.9, publishes original research and review articles on a wide range of energy topics, including generation, utilization, conversion, storage, transmission, conservation, management, and sustainability. 

This research was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme [FRGS/1/ 2022/TK08/XMU/03/1]; Xiamen University Malaysia through the Xiamen University Malaysia Research Fund [XMUMRF/2023-C9/IENG/0045]. Collaboration from Xiamen University China, University of Southampton Malaysia, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) and University Technology Malaysia (Johor) were appreciated. 

Co-pyrolysis with Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) offers a promising solution to convert Waste Activated Sludge (WAS) into valuable bio-products. The addition of PET enhances WAS decomposition, while PET degradation is inhibited at high WAS fractions. Kinetic analysis confirms the synergistic interactions, with activation energies higher than additive values during the main PET degradation stage. Evolved gas analysis reveals that co-pyrolysis produces aromatic-rich bio-oil with lower carbon dioxide emissions compared to individual pyrolysis. These findings highlight the potential of co-pyrolysis as a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach for valorizing WAS and PET waste.

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This article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2024.119412 

Image	Meng Yang Tee is a master's student in New Energy Science and Engineering at Xiamen University Malaysia. With expertise in biomass processing and analytical techniques such as UV-Vis and FTIR spectroscopy, he is currently focused on studying the co-pyrolysis kinetics of various materials to advance renewable energy research.
Image	Ir. Ts. Dr. Mong Guo Ren is an Assistant Professor at XMUM New Energy Science and Engineering Department. His research focuses on converting waste through thermal technologies into bioenergy and bioproducts. He has received several research awards from research competitions and best presenter awards from international conferences.