Thermal behavior and kinetic study for catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass with plastics.

The present study aims to investigate the thermal decomposition behaviors and kinetics of biomass (cellulose/Douglas fir sawdust) and plastics (LDPE) in a non-catalytic and catalytic co-pyrolysis over ZSM-5 catalyst by using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). It was found that there was a positive synergistic interaction between biomass and plastics according to the difference of weight loss (ΔW), which could decrease the formation of solid residue at the end of the experiment. The first order reaction model well fitted for both non-catalytic and catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass with plastics. The activation energy (E) of Cellulose-LDPE-Catalyst and DF-LDPE-Catalyst are only 89.51 and 54.51kJ/mol, respectively. The kinetics analysis showed that adding catalyst doesn't change the decomposition mechanism. As a result, the kinetic study on catalytic co-pyrolysis of biomass with plastics was suggested that the catalytic co-pyrolysis is a promising technique that can significantly reduce the energy input.

Optimizing carbon efficiency of jet fuel range alkanes from cellulose co-fed with polyethylene via catalytically combined processes.

Enhanced carbon yields of renewable alkanes for jet fuels were obtained through the catalytic microwave-induced co-pyrolysis and hydrogenation process. The well-promoted ZSM-5 catalyst had high selectivity toward C8-C16 aromatic hydrocarbons. The raw organics with improved carbon yield (∼44%) were more principally lumped in the jet fuel range at the catalytic temperature of 375°C with the LDPE to cellulose (representing waste plastics to lignocellulose) mass ratio of 0.75. It was also observed that the four species of raw organics from the catalytic microwave co-pyrolysis were almost completely converted into saturated hydrocarbons; the hydrogenation process was conducted in the n-heptane medium by using home-made Raney Ni catalyst under a low-severity condition. The overall carbon yield (with regards to co-reactants of cellulose and LDPE) of hydrogenated organics that mostly match jet fuels was sustainably enhanced to above 39%. Meanwhile, ∼90% selectivity toward jet fuel range alkanes was attained.