Application of Slow Pyrolysis to Convert Waste Plastics from a Compost-Reject Stream into Py-Char

Ewa M. Iwanek (nee Wilczkowska) and Donald W. Kirk
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Ewa M. Iwanek (nee Wilczkowska): Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland
Donald W. Kirk: Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3E5, Canada

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: There is growing recognition that the degradation of plastics in the environment is a serious problem. This study investigated and reported on the feasibility of removing end-of-life plastics from circulating in the environment. The specific example focuses on non-recyclable plastics found in a waste diversion program for compostable materials, known as the Green Bin Program. The purpose of this study was to identify and quantify the types of polymers in this stream, as well as to determine if it could be successfully turned into char without separation of its components. The measurements show that polyethylene (72 wt.%), polypropylene (14 wt.%) and polyethylene terephthalate (12 wt.%) are the main constituents of this stream, with minor contributions from polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS), Nitrile rubber and Nylon. Samples of the as-received waste containing plastics and fibrous material were subjected to a slow pyrolysis process. The yield of the char product depended on the conditions of the pyrolysis and a strong synergistic effect was noted when both the plastic and fibrous materials were co-pyrolyzed. The study of variable pyrolysis conditions, along with DTA-TGA-MS studies on the mechanism of the char formation, indicate that the positive effect results from enhanced interaction of plastics with air, in the presence of fibrous material, during the initial/pre-treatment step.

Keywords: co-pyrolysis; char; synergistic effect; composition; plastic waste (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 (2)

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