Release and evolution mechanism of oxygen-containing compounds and aromatics during the co-pyrolysis of waste tire and bamboo sawdust/rice husk by Py-GC/MS

Abstract

Using the measurement technique pyrolysis gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry, the release characteristics of oxygen-containing compounds and aromatics during the pyrolysis of waste tire (WT) and the co-pyrolysis of WT and bamboo sawdust (BS)/rice hull (RH) were analyzed at low temperature (350 °C), medium temperature (550 °C) and high temperature (750 °C). The oxygen-containing compounds from the WT pyrolysis contained acids, phenols, alcohols, esters, peroxides and oxygen-containing heterocycles. Especially, the acids such as palmitic acid and stearic acid presented the highest proportion of 8.68% at 350 °C. The oxygen-containing compounds proportion showed a sharply decreasing trend with the increase of temperature. The aromatics proportion was extremely low at 350 °C and 550 °C, while aromatics proportion was as high as 44.64%, including benzene, alkyl substituted benzene, indene, naphthalene and alkyl substituted naphthalene at 750 °C. The proportion of benzene, toluene and xylene was 17.05%, and that of naphthalene and its derivatives was 7.86%. After adding BS or RH, the aromatics proportion increased at 550 °C. The aromatics proportion decreased by more than 16% with the addition of BS, while the aromatics proportion increased with the addition of RH, such as benzene, indene and naphthalene derivatives. It was also found that the relative oxygen-containing components and aromatics proportion showed an opposite trend along the temperature. At 750 °C, oxygen-containing compounds could be converted into aromatics through a series of free radical reactions. For the WT pyrolysis, N-containing organic compounds proportion in gas product as the temperature increased. While the S-containing organic compounds were released into gas phase only at 550 °C. Adding BS could reduce the formation of N- and S- containing organic compounds. However, adding RH inhabited the N-containing organic compounds formation only at 350 °C. Adding RH also inhabited the formation of S-containing organic compounds formation, while this while this positive effect was weaker than that of adding BS. Finally, according to the obtained results from Py-GC/MS at different temperatures, it was found that the active oxygen-containing free radicals released from BS could promote the chain breaking of rubber components and release hydrogen free radicals. With the aggravation of hydrogen transfer reaction, the oxygen-containing organic compounds were continuously transformed into hydrocarbon products. Co-pyrolysis promoted decarboxylation and decarbonylation reaction, resulting in the formation of H2 and free radicals, thus promoting the generation of alicyclic hydrocarbons, aliphatic chain hydrocarbons and benzene. This work provided the in-depth comparison and investigation the waste tire pyrolysis and products evolution.