Evaluation of the pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis process of palm shell and waste tyres in a CO2 atmosphere

Abstract

In this manuscript, the effect of various mixture proportions of a lignocellulosic material (palm shell) and waste tyres (a material not easily degraded in natural environmental conditions) subjected to a thermochemical process known as pyrolysis, on the distribution of the different fractions of the reaction products, was analyzed. The mixtures consisted of 20%-80%, 50%-50% and 80%-20% of palm shell and used tyre respectively, which were subjected to a co-pyrolysis, a simultaneous thermochemical decomposition of two biomass sources, and the resulting liquid and solid fractions were characterized. The experiments were carried out using a 0.5 mm-particle size under 500 °C for each pyrolysis run. The raw materials are characterized by proximate and elemental analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in addition to Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA).

Solid and liquid products were also characterized by FTIR, and their calorific value was also determined. The distribution of fractions was made by weight difference between the fractions and the mass fed. The pyrolysis run that obtained the best properties was the mixture of 80% waste tyres and 20% palm shells with a calorific value of 21,117 kJ/kg, obtaining three types of products with the following mass proportions: solid 23.5%, liquid 18.6% and gas 57.9%. It can be concluded that the solid product obtained has a great energy potential, superior than that of dry wood, which is 19,000 kJ/kg.