Abstract
The quantity of biodegradable plastics is increasing steadily and taking a larger share in the residual waste stream. As the calorific value of biodegradable plastic is almost two-fold lower than that of conventional ones, its increasing quantity decreases the overall calorific value of municipal solid waste and refuse-derived fuel which is used as feedstock for cement and incineration plants. For that reason, in this work, the torrefaction of biodegradable waste, polylactic acid (PLA), and paper was performed for carbonized solid fuel (CSF) production. In this work, we determined the process yields, fuel properties, process kinetics, theoretical energy, and mass balance. We show that the calorific value of PLA cannot be improved by torrefaction, and that the process cannot be self-sufficient, while the calorific value of paper can be improved up to 10% by the same process. Moreover, the thermogravimetric analysis revealed that PLA decomposes in one stage at ~290–400 °C with a maximum peak at 367 °C, following a 0.42 reaction order with the activation energy of 160.05 kJ·(mol·K)−1.
Highlights
Results of carbonized solid fuel (CSF) production and proximate analysis were subjected to regression analyses to provide empirical equations. These equations are used to describe the following properties of CSF: mass yield (MY), energy densification ratio (EDr), energy yield (EY), volatile matter (VM), ash content (AC), fixed carbon (FC), volatile solids (VS), combustibles parts (CP), and higher heating value (HHV) depending on process temperature and time
The results of this study showed that polylactic acid (PLA)’s fuel properties cannot be improved by torrefaction, as no calorific values increase were observed with increasing process temperature and time
PAP’s fuel properties can be improved up to 10% by applying temperatures higher than 280 ◦ C, which is probably caused by a partial cellulose decomposition
Summary
The negative impact of plastic waste accumulated in the environment (in oceans, soils, and air), including the form of microplastics, is undeniable. There is a risk of the release of chemicals from all plastic that is unproperly landfilled into the soil and groundwater. Geyer et al [5] estimated in 2017 that, since the 1950s, over 8300 Mt of plastics were ever produced globally, out of which 56% In 2019 alone, 368 Mt of plastic were produced [6], and it is estimated that that annual production will increase by four times in 2050 [7]. 250 Mt of plastic waste was generated, of which only 175 Mt was collected, and 75 Mt was improperly disposed or released to the environment.
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