Comparative study on synergistic effects in co-pyrolysis of tobacco stalk with polymer wastes: Thermal behavior, gas formation, and kinetics

Rongjie Chen; Jianhui Zhang; Liyong Lun; Qinghai Li; Yanguo Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121970

Comparative study on synergistic effects in co-pyrolysis of tobacco stalk with polymer wastes: Thermal behavior, gas formation, and kinetics

Bioresour Technol. 2019 Nov:292:121970. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121970. Epub 2019 Aug 8.

Authors

Rongjie Chen¹, Jianhui Zhang¹, Liyong Lun², Qinghai Li³, Yanguo Zhang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Tsinghua University-University of Waterloo Joint Research Center for Micro/Nano Energy & Environment Technology, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
² Resources & Environment Business Department, China International Engineering Consulting Corporation, Ltd., Beijing 100048, PR China.
³ Tsinghua University-University of Waterloo Joint Research Center for Micro/Nano Energy & Environment Technology, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China. Electronic address: liqh@tsinghua.edu.cn.
⁴ Tsinghua University-University of Waterloo Joint Research Center for Micro/Nano Energy & Environment Technology, Key Laboratory for Thermal Science and Power Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China. Electronic address: zhangyg@tsinghua.edu.cn.

PMID: 31421590
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121970

Abstract

Co-pyrolysis of tobacco stalk (TS) with different types of polymer wastes such as scrap tire (ST), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was investigated. Thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was carried out to examine the thermochemical properties, kinetics, and gas generation. The results of the co-pyrolysis showed a synergistic effect compared to the pyrolysis of the individual components. When using TS/ST co-pyrolysis, the reduction in char residue was about 6% (dry wt. basis) and the increase in organic gases exceeded 20%. It indicates that the addition of ST can increase both carbon conversion efficiency and volatiles yield. HCl from PVC underwent a complex physicochemical reaction with TS, increasing coke yield by 11-12% and inhibiting the gas release. In the main pyrolysis temperature range of ST, the activation energy is reduced by 40-80% by blending with TS; for PP this value is reduced by about 22%.

Keywords: Co-pyrolysis; Polypropylene; Polyvinyl chloride; Scrap tire; Synergistic effect; Tobacco stalk.

MeSH terms

Gases
Kinetics
Nicotiana*
Polymers*
Pyrolysis
Thermogravimetry

Substances

Gases
Polymers