Abstract
AbstractThe effects of various catalysts on the composition of volatile pyrolysis products of a plastic waste and biomass mixture (1:1) were studied, by pyrolyzing the mixture sample using slow and fast heating rate. Various zeolite catalysts (β-and Y-zeolites, ZSM-5 and FCC) and nickel-molybdenum catalyst on alumina support were applied to find suitable catalysts for upgrading the quality of the thermal decomposition products of the waste mixture. A sample to catalyst ratio of 2:1 was used in the experiments. The rate of evolution of the decomposition products under slow pyrolysis was measured by thermogravimetry/mass spectrometry (TG/MS). The composition of the pyrolyzates was analyzed in detail by pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) method. The influence of all applied catalysts was more pronounced on the plastic content of the sample than on biomass. The pyrolysis experiments revealed that the catalysts promoted the cracking reactions of the evolved hydrocarbons; furthermore, the formation of aromatic products was enhanced remarkably in the presence of all zeolite catalysts. Beta-zeolite and ZSM-5 catalysts were found the most effective in cracking hydrocarbons to gaseous products and in aromatization, while the highest CO2 formation was obtained by FCC from the biomass part of the studied waste mixture. NiMo catalyst promoted the H2 production from the plastic part; furthermore, slight aromatization and cracking effects were also observed.
Highlights
The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a great challenge for the human population and it requires the knowledge of the composition of the actual urban solid waste
Biomass devolatilizes in the first stage of degradation, while the plastic component decomposes in the second stage
The small, but characteristic mass loss at around 640 °C from all samples belongs to the decomposition of carbonate content of the waste sample, which was confirmed by CO2 evolution detected by thermogravimetry/ mass spectrometry (TG/MS) (Fig. 2h)
Summary
The management of municipal solid waste (MSW) is a great challenge for the human population and it requires the knowledge of the composition of the actual urban solid waste. This waste consists of various organic and inorganic components, where the two main constituents of the organic part are biomass and plastics. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) are produced in the largest quantity among the commodity plastics Due to their wide application as packaging materials, these two plastics make up the bulk of the plastic content of MSW. Interactions between hydrocarbon polymers and lignocellulose materials are reported in several studies
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