Study of Energy Valorization of Disposable Masks via Thermochemical Processes: Devolatilization Tests and Simulation Approach

Rachele Foffi, Elisa Savuto, Matteo Stante, Roberta Mancini and Katia Gallucci
Additional contact information
Rachele Foffi: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Elisa Savuto: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
Matteo Stante: ALMA C.I.S., 66013 Chieti, Italy
Roberta Mancini: ALMA C.I.S., 66013 Chieti, Italy
Katia Gallucci: Department of Industrial and Information Engineering and Economics, University of L’Aquila, Monteluco di Roio, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-24

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the use of medical protective equipment, including face masks, to protect the individual from the virus. This work studies the feasibility of using these materials as fuel for thermochemical processes for the production of syngas. A preliminary physic-chemical characterization was made by means of moisture and ash determination, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray fluorescence. Afterward, pyrolysis and gasification tests were executed in a laboratory-scale fluidized bed reactor with chirurgical and FFP2 masks investigating four temperature levels and three different operating conditions (fluidizing agents and dry/wet sample). A qualitative and quantitative analysis of condensable aromatic hydrocarbons in the produced gas, collected during the test campaign, was performed employing a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer. The experimental data from the tests were used to propose a hybrid approach to simulate the gasification process, based on experimental laws for the devolatilization step and a thermodynamic equilibrium approach for char gasification. The resulting data were compared with a thermodynamic equilibrium model, showing that the new approach captures non-equilibrium effects always present in real gasifiers operation.

Keywords: disposable masks; devolatilization tests; Aspen Plus ®simulation; tar analysis (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/6/2103/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/6/2103/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:6:p:2103-:d:770314

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().