Thermal decomposition of electronic wastes: mobile phone case and other parts

Pyrolysis and combustion runs at 850°C in a horizontal laboratory furnace were carried out on different parts of a mobile phone (printed circuit board, mobile case and a mixture of both materials). The analyses of the carbon oxides, light hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and dioxin-like PCBs are shown. Regarding semivolatile compounds, phenol, styrene, and its derivatives had the highest yields. In nearly all the runs the same PAHs were identified, naphthalene being the most common component obtained. Combustion of the printed circuit board produced the highest emission factor of PCDD/Fs, possibly due to the high copper content.     

Deactivation and regeneration of ZSM-5 zeolite in catalytic pyrolysis of plastic wastes

In this work, a study of the regeneration and reuse of ZSM-5 zeolite in the pyrolysis of a plastic mixture has been carried out in a semi-batch reactor at 440 °C. The results have been compared with those obtained with fresh-catalyst and in non-catalytic experiments with the same conditions. The use of fresh catalyst produces a significant change in both the pyrolysis yields and the properties of the liquids and gases obtained. Gases more rich in C3-C4 and H₂ are produced, as well as lower quantities of aromatic liquids if compared with those obtained in thermal decomposition. The authors have proved that after one pyrolysis experiment the zeolite loses quite a lot of its activity, which is reflected in both the yields and the products quality; however, this deactivation was found to be reversible since after regeneration heating at 550 °C in oxygen atmosphere, this catalyst recovered its initial activity, generating similar products and in equivalent proportions as those obtained with fresh catalyst.     

Thermal analysis of polyethylene glycol: evolved gas analysis with ion attachment mass spectrometry

The thermal decomposition of polyethylene glycol was investigated by using a technique combining evolved gas analysis (time-resolved pyrolysis) with ion-attachment mass spectrometry. This technique allows the detection of intact pyrolysis products and, therefore, offers the opportunity for direct real-time monitoring of thermal by-products. Unstable products can thus be detected; for instance, many highly reactive organic peroxides, such as CH₃OOH and HOCH₂OOH, were found in this study. Classification analysis revealed 10 major compositional formulas among the product species: C_nH_2n+2O, C_nH_2n+2O₂, C_nH_2n+2O₃, C_nH_2n+2O₄, C_nH_2n+2O₅, C_nH_2n+2O₆, C_nH_2n+2O₇, C_nH_2nO, C_nH_2nO₂, and HO(CH₂CH₂O)_nH ethylene glycol oligomers. The Li⁺ ion adduct mass spectra showed a characteristic profile in terms of both the appearance of unique components and the distribution of pyrolysis products. Among the products of the thermal decomposition of PEG, formaldehyde (HCHO) and organic peroxides were particularly interesting. Formaldehyde, one of the 10 most abundant products, is a known human carcinogen. The detection of peroxides suggests that they may form during the incineration of PEG, which may have important environmental implications. The existence of peroxide products may have implications for chemical evolution in incinerator systems.     

大港油田含油污泥热解处理实验研究

采用热解法对含油污泥进行处理.经过筛选,选取活性白土作为催化剂,分别研究反应时间、反应温度、加热速率和氮气吹扫量对热解处理效果的影响.4个影响因素对液相收率的影响顺序为:氮气吹扫量＞反应温度＞反应时间＞加热速率;对反应转化率的影响顺序为:反应温度＞反应时间＞氮气吹扫量＞加热速率.实验理想的反应参数为:反应时间60min,反应温度490℃,加热速率4℃/min,氮气吹扫量90 mL/min.     

Characterization of products obtained from pyrolysis and steam gasification of wood waste,RDF, and RPF

Pyrolysis and steam gasification of woody biomass chip (WBC) obtained from construction and demolition wastes, refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and refuse paper and plastic fuel (RPF) were performed at various temperatures using a lab-scale instrument. The gas, liquid, and solid products were examined to determine their generation amounts, properties, and the carbon balance between raw material and products.The amount of product gas and its hydrogen concentration showed a considerable difference depending on pyrolysis and steam gasification at higher temperature. The reaction of steam and solid product, char, contributed to an increase in gas amount and hydrogen concentration. The amount of liquid products generated greatly depended on temperature rather than pyrolysis or steam gasification. The compositions of liquid product varied relying on raw materials used at 500 °C but the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons became the major compounds at 900 °C irrespective of the raw materials used. Almost fixed carbon (FC) of raw materials remained as solid products under pyrolysis condition whereas FC started to decompose at 700 °C under steam gasification condition.For WBC, both char utilization by pyrolysis at low temperature (500 °C) and syngas recovery by steam gasification at higher temperature (900 °C) might be practical options. From the results of carbon balance of RDF and RPF, it was confirmed that the carbon conversion to liquid products conspicuously increased as the amount of plastic increased in the raw material. To recover feedstock from RPF, pyrolysis for oil recovery at low temperature (500 °C) might be one of viable options. Steam gasification at 900 °C could be an option but the method of tar reforming (e.g. catalyst utilization) should be considered.     

模化城市有机垃圾的热解研究

本文简介了对城市有机垃圾(模化垃圾)进行热解的研究结果。得到了产气量、可燃气体成分、热解时间等随热解温度的变化关系。研究结果指出,当城市有机垃圾含水率W~y<50％,热解温度在900℃左右条件下,有机垃圾的潜能不仅能实现自身的处理,而且可输出部分热能。     

污水污泥制油技术研究进展

目前污水污泥传统处理方法存在一定的不足和弊端,污泥制油技术不断得到了研究者的关注。对污泥制油技术的发展进行综述,特别就工艺操作条件、催化剂的使用等方面介绍了污泥低温热解技术,并对污泥制油技术提出几点展望。     

Effect of particle size and dust layer size on ignition characteristics of PMMA dust layer on hot surface

Deposition of combustible dust on a hot surface is a hidden danger of fire. In this work, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) dust was selected to analyse the influence of dust layer diameter, dust particle size and dust layer thickness on the ignition characteristics of PMMA dust layer. Critical heating temperatures and ignition time had been measured. The STA-GC/MS-FTIR analysis was used to determine that the main products of PMMA pyrolysis were MMA, CO, CO₂, and C₂H₄, of which CO and C₂H₄ were transported to the ambient to cause gas phase combustion on the surface of the dust layer. For 10 mm thick dust layer, the critical heating temperatures of 5 μm PMMA, 100 nm PMMA, and 30 μm PMMA were 300 °C, 330 °C, and 320 °C. As the thickness of the dust layer increased, the gas transport path became longer, the critical heating temperature and ignition time increased. The characteristic particle size (D [3,2]) was utilized to represent the true particle size, and the ignition time increased with the increase of the characteristic particle size. The increase in the diameter of the dust layer had a slight effect on the temperature history and ignition time of the dust layer.     

污水污泥低温热解实验研究

研究不同热解最终温度下污水污泥热解产物的产率及特性。结果表明,随着温度的升高,固体产物产率下降,且C／H增加;气体产率随着温度的升高而增加;液体产物产率随着热解温度的升高而增加,440℃时达到最大30．5％;热解温度进一步升高,液体产率略有不太明显的下降;液体油品具有较高的热值,它们作为潜在的能源是不可忽视的。     

Sustainable design for automotive products: Dismantling and recycling of end-of-life vehicles

The growth in automotive production has increased the number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) annually. The traditional approach ELV processing involves dismantling, shredding, and landfill disposal. The “3R” (i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle) principle has been increasingly employed in processing ELVs, particularly ELV parts, to promote sustainable development. The first step in processing ELVs is dismantling. However, certain parts of the vehicle are difficult to disassemble and use in practice. The extended producer responsibility policy requires carmakers to contribute in the processing of scrap cars either for their own developmental needs or for social responsibility. The design for dismantling approach can be an effective solution to the existing difficulties in dismantling ELVs. This approach can also provide guidelines in the design of automotive products. This paper illustrates the difficulty of handling polymers in dashboards. The physical properties of polymers prevent easy separation and recycling by using mechanical methods. Thus, dealers have to rely on chemical methods such as pyrolysis. Therefore, car designers should use a single material to benefit dealers. The use of materials for effective end-of-life processing without sacrificing the original performance requirements of the vehicle should be explored.