Effect of Experimental Conditions on the Yields during the Copyrolysis of Mustafa Kemal Paşa (MKP) Lignite (Turkey) with Low-Density Polyethylene

Abstract

Copyrolysis of a turkish lignite with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is conducted in a tubular reactor. The effect of experimental conditions (temperature of 400−700 °C, catalyst, LDPE contents of the mixture are 33, 50, and 67 wt %) on the formation of tar, gas, and char and their effects on the formation of phenol are investigated. The catalysts used are red mud (which is a waste product of an aluminum factory in Turkey), zeolite (Linde type A (LTA)), and K2CO3. Tar evolution is determined to be increased significantly by increasing the LDPE content of the coal−LDPE mixture during the pyrolysis. The effect of adding LDPE to the coal on the gas generation is not remarkable. An increase in temperature leads to increased gas yields. Phenol and phenol derivatives are the obstacles for the complete conversion of lignite to tar and gas. To investigate this negative effect of phenols on the yields, the phenols found in tar from coal pyrolysis are detected by gas chromatography−mass spectroscopy (GC−MS), and i...