(215d) Insights into Co-Pyrolysis of Plastics through Experiments and Kinetic Modeling

The global production of plastics increased from 2 million metric tonnes (MMT) in 1950 to 380 MMT in 2015, leading to a subsequent rise in plastic waste. It has been estimated that only 9% of plastic waste produced globally has been recycled. The major cause of the increase in plastic waste is due to the use of durable goods, containers, and packaging. The recycling of multilayer packaging is one of the most challenging issues in the solid waste management sector. This is primarily because multilayer packaging is made up of different polymers and materials that are difficult to separate and recycle. Pyrolysis is a promising thermochemical recycling technology that can accept single streams as well as a mixed stream of plastics to recycle in a single step without the need for separation unlike mechanical recycling. It involves the thermal decomposition of the polymeric structure in an inert ambiance in the presence or absence of catalysts at moderate temperatures of 400-600 ^oC. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and micro-pyrolysis reactors coupled to online gas chromatography analytics (Py-(GC)×GC-MS/FID) provide detailed information on the kinetic evaluation of solid to gas transformations. Accordingly, I will be presenting the kinetic analysis and product speciation results obtained through a systematic study relevant to plastic mixtures.