Characterization of Tar Derived from Principle Components of Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract

It is of great interest and importance to have a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of tar derived from major components of municipal solid waste to guide gasification syngas cleaning and upgrading. In this paper, cellulose and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were chosen as principle components, and the surface tension, kinematic viscosity, and contact angle of tar derived from cellulose, PVC, and their mixture at temperatures of 400, 500, and 600 °C were experimentally studied. Gas chromatography−mass spectrometry (GC−MS) and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) were employed to identify major tar species and their corresponding molecular bonds. Results indicated that the surface tension increased from around 51.4, 41.4, and 58.6 mN/m at 400 °C to 54.8, 47.2, and 64.9 mN/m at 600 °C for cellulose, PVC, and their mixture, respectively. Correspondingly, the kinematic viscosity changed from around 5. 64, 20.37, and 10.37 cSt to 10.35, 34.21,and 15.51 cSt. The surface tension was affected by the co-pyrolysis of cellulose and PVC, while no obvious interaction was observed for kinematic viscosity. GC−MS results showed that the major species of tar generated from cellulose were miscellaneous hydrocarbons with a proportion between 69.7 and 96.3%. The composition for tar derived from PVC and their mixture showed a dramatic difference compared to that from cellulose. NMR spectra indicated that the function group of tar derived from the PVC and cellulose mixture was dominated by PVC.

Compositional and Structural Analysis of Silica Gel Fractions from Municipal Waste Pyrolysis Oils

“…Pyrolysis oils derived from waste materials are important sources of fuel and chemicals that both circumvent some of the environmental concerns associated with petroleum and alleviate waste disposal concerns. A wide range of organic waste materials, such as forestry residue and recycled plastics, may be used for pyrolysis, each producing a complex oil product with attributes governed by their chemical composition. − As for other complex mixtures, such as petroleum and dissolved organic matter, pyrolysis oils contain thousands of distinct molecular formulas. , Fractionation simplifies these samples, allowing for more detailed chemical characterization, which provides a better understanding of bulk properties and potential applications. Previous pyrolysis oil fractionation methods have focused on the separation of oxygenated species from biomass pyrolysis oils, whereas analysis of municipal waste pyrolysis oils has largely been conducted without separation.…”

Advanced Chemical Characterization of Pyrolysis Oils from Landfill Waste, Recycled Plastics, and Forestry Residue

“…As of 2013, only ∼35% of municipal solid waste generated in the U.S. was recycled, leaving ∼170 million tons of waste to be disposed of by other methods . Pyrolysis has proven useful for the conversion of biomass and waste materials into fuel sources, and the chemical composition of biomass-derived pyrolysis oils has been studied extensively by gas chromatography (GC), mass spectrometry (MS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), elemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and various extraction methods. − Pyrolysis of municipal solid wastes offers a unique opportunity to reduce costly and environmentally harmful waste storage practices and to generate alternative fuel streams.…”

“…The high content of heteroatoms in pyrolysis oils, especially oxygen, is the greatest hindrance to their use as a substitute for crude oil. The chemical composition of pyrolysis oil is greatly influenced by the feedstock . Pyrolysis oils derived from plant biomass typically contain between 10 and 30 wt % oxygen due to the cellulosic/lignin-based (high oxygen content) starting material. ,,,− Islam et al showed that the oxygen content of paper waste-derived pyrolysis oils can be as high as 53 wt % .…”

“…In pyrolysis oils produced from different waste plastics, the feedstock composition affects not only the amount of oil produced but also the structures present in the oil. , Pyrolysis of heavily mixed feedstocks, such as municipal solid waste, allows for potentially cooperative interaction of components (biomass, plastics, etc.) during pyrolysis, and can result in more desirable products. , …”

“…during pyrolysis, and can result in more desirable products. 3,31 To date, a direct comparison of pyrolysis oils produced by comparable methods but from differing feedstocks has not been conducted. Here, we provide a direct comparison of three fastpyrolysis oils produced from landfill waste (landfill), recycled plastics (plastic), and pine forestry residue (pine) by comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC), FT-ICR MS, elemental analysis, and FT-IR.…”