Pyro-gas analysis of fixed bed reactor end of life tyres (ELTs) pyrolysis: A comparative study.

Pyrolysis of end of life tyres (ELTs) present a promising alternative to their incineration or classical product recovery using mechanical means. It can produce light hydrocarbons (HCs) and other valuable chemicals as part of the pyro-gas stream it generates. In this work, two grades of tyres namely a fresh (virgin) one and a waste disposed ELTs, were used as a feedstock to analyse their pyro-gas constituents. There wasn't much difference in the maximum conversion rate between both tyre grades where the fresh tyres had an estimated 15.17% conversion and the ELTs was 13.45% conversion (both at 800 °C). The difference herein was attributed to release of free radicals prior to subjecting the samples to pyrolysis due to their history. The analysis of the pyro-gas samples showed a large make of light hydrocarbon (HC) products, namely methane (CH4/C1), ethane (C2H6/C2), ethylene (C2H4), propane (C3H8/C3), propylene (C3H6), n-butane (C4H10), butadiene compounds, carbon mono and dioxide (CO,CO2). Light HCs mimciking natural gas were more abundant in the case of ELTs were C1 was estimated as 14.53% at 500 °C and 16.73% at 800 °C. C2 was also estimated higher than the fresh tyres where a 11.78% at 500 °C was noted and 7.67% at 800 °C. It can be recommended that future integration plans in oil and gas ventures, namely refinery and petrochemical complexes, are to start taking responsible measures towards the environment by substituting part of their operations with sustainable feedstock such as ELTs.

Fatal transmission of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia to an Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx).

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) is an infectious respiratory disease mainly affecting domestic goats. As CCPP has never been documented in grazing antelopes (subfamily hippotraginae), they were not considered susceptible. Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (Mccp) was isolated from pleural liquid collected during the necropsy of a severely emaciated Arabian oryx with mild nasal discharge. The Mccp isolate was then genotyped using a multilocus sequence scheme; the sequence type was identical to the Mccp strain previously identified in a sand gazelle from a nearby enclosure. This case shows for the first time that members of the hippotraginae subfamily, here the Arabian oryx, can be affected by CCPP. In addition, genotyping shows that the oryx was most probably infected, at a distance, by sand gazelles.