Production of Bio-Oil via Pyrolysis of Banana Peel and Tire Waste for Energy Utilization

Abstract

The energy crisis and environmental degradation are pressing challenges, intensified by population growth and the excessive generation of solid waste. Converting waste into energy, especially through pyrolysis, is a viable and sustainable alternative. This thermal process transforms waste such as banana peels and used tires into high-value products, such as gas, char, and bio-oil. This study aims to evaluate the production of bio-oil from the pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of these materials, considering different proportions and temperatures, as well as using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict the composition of the bio-oils. The pyrolysis tests with 100% banana peel and 75% banana peel mixed with 25% tire showed a decrease in bio-oil yield with increasing temperature, with a drop of around 30% when comparing 500 °C to 400 °C. In contrast, co-pyrolysis with 50% of each material and 100% of the tire resulted in increases in bio-oil yield as the temperature rose. A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of the bio-oils showed the presence of relevant functional groups, while an elemental analysis and ANN provided accurate predictions of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen content. The results suggest that the co-pyrolysis of waste tires and banana peels is a viable alternative for the production of bio-oil.