Municipal Solid Waste Thermal Analysis—Pyrolysis Kinetics and Decomposition Reactions

Ewa Syguła, Kacper Świechowski, Małgorzata Hejna, Ines Kunaszyk and Andrzej Białowiec
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Ewa Syguła: Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Kacper Świechowski: Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Małgorzata Hejna: Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Ines Kunaszyk: Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland
Andrzej Białowiec: Department of Applied Bioeconomy, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 37a Chełmońskiego Str., 51-630 Wrocław, Poland

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 15, 1-27

Abstract: In this study, 12 organic waste materials were subjected to TG/DTG thermogravimetric analysis and DSC calorimetric analysis. These analyses provided basic information about thermochemical transformations and degradation rates during organic waste pyrolysis. Organic waste materials were divided into six basic groups as follows: paper, cardboard, textiles, plastics, hygiene waste, and biodegradable waste. For each group, two waste materials were selected to be studied. Research materials were (i) paper (receipts, cotton wool); (ii) cardboard (cardboard, egg carton); (iii) textiles (cotton, leather); (iv) plastics (polyethylene (PET), polyurethane (PU)); (v) hygiene waste (diapers, leno); and (vi) biodegradable waste (chicken meat, potato peel). Waste materials were chosen to represent the most abundant waste that can be found in the municipal solid waste stream. Based on TG results, kinetic parameters according to the Coats–Redfern method were determined. The pyrolysis activation energy was the highest for cotton, 134.5 kJ × (mol?K) ?1 , and the lowest for leather, 25.2 kJ × (mol?K) ?1 . The DSC analysis showed that a number of transformations occurred during pyrolysis for each material. For each transformation, the normalized energy required for transformation, or released during transformation, was determined, and then summarized to present the energy balance. The study found that the energy balance was negative for only three waste materials—PET (?220.1 J × g ?1 ), leather (?66.8 J × g ?1 ), and chicken meat (?130.3 J × g ?1 )—whereas the highest positive balance value was found for potato peelings (367.8 J × g ?1 ). The obtained results may be applied for the modelling of energy and mass balance of municipal solid waste pyrolysis.

Keywords: TGA; DTG; DSC; thermogravimetric analysis; differential scanning calorimetry; municipal solid waste; organic waste; proximate analysis; process kinetics; Coats–Redfern method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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