Investigation of waste LDPE with Pongamia pinnata seed for sustainable resource recovery: Thermodynamics, Kinetics and artificial neural network modeling for co-pyrolysis potential

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Pyrolysis conversion offers the advantages of significant waste reduction and potential energy recovery. This work examined the potential of combining plastic and agricultural wastes as pyrolysis feedstocks. The mixture of waste low-density polyethylene and Pongamia pinnata seeds was analysed using differential and thermogravimetric methods. In addition to the Coats-Redfern (CR) method, Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (FWO), Friedman (FRM), and Kissinger (KN) model-free methods were also applied to calculate the kinetic parameters. The apparent activation energy (Ea) calculation demonstrated that the co-pyrolysis conversion required Ea values of 125–154 kJ mol−1. The artificial neural network (ANN) model was considered to validate thermogravimetric data. The R2 values were near unity in training, validation, and testing conditions, with the minimum possible value for mean square error obtained for the considered heating rates. The Pongamia pinnata seeds and waste plastic mixture could surely be utilized to lessen environmental degradation, add value to leftover seeds and waste low-density polyethylene by extracting fuel for transportation and other commercial activities, and produce industrial chemicals, as found through the kinetic modelling, thermodynamic parameters, and ANN modelling.