Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels
This paper presents the application of two versions of the multilayer fluidized bed made out of two materials with significantly different densities. The first type of fluidized bed was composed of raw cenospheres and quartz sand. The second type of fluidized bed was composed of cenospheres coated w...
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MDPI AG
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1034 |
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| author | Witold Żukowski Krystian Leski Gabriela Berkowicz-Płatek Jan Wrona |
| author_facet | Witold Żukowski Krystian Leski Gabriela Berkowicz-Płatek Jan Wrona |
| author_sort | Witold Żukowski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper presents the application of two versions of the multilayer fluidized bed made out of two materials with significantly different densities. The first type of fluidized bed was composed of raw cenospheres and quartz sand. The second type of fluidized bed was composed of cenospheres coated with iron oxides and quartz sand. A variable vertical density profiles in the prepared fluidized beds were confirmed, making them suitable for processing polymeric materials, specifically, polyolefins with a density below 1 g/cm<sup>3</sup>. The polyolefin pyrolysis process was investigated in both versions of the fluidized bed at temperatures of 520, 540, 560, and 590 °C. The products of the pyrolysis were monitored using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy (with a resolution of 1 cm<sup>−1</sup>). While the process is organized in these fluidized beds, the absence of the accumulation of solid residues is notable. The results show that the pyrolytic gaseous mixture is composed of numerous compounds, namely, unsaturated and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons and benzene. The possibility of producing a gas rich in ethylene, propylene, and 1-butene during the pyrolysis was demonstrated. Additionally, during the pyrolysis of both polymers, the production of benzene was shown with yields, ranging from 5%<sub>wt.</sub> in the fluidized bed made out of raw cenospheres to 11 %<sub>wt.</sub> in the fluidized bed made out of cenospheres modified by iron oxides. Due to the complex nature of the resulting pyrolytic gas, it is suggested that we process the created gaseous mixtures entirely in a steam conversion process, making them a potential source of hydrogen. |
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-162b7d3e0ca74b6c98032ebbf97f65f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T00:30:48Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-162b7d3e0ca74b6c98032ebbf97f65f82024-03-12T16:43:05ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732024-02-01175103410.3390/en17051034Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative FuelsWitold Żukowski0Krystian Leski1Gabriela Berkowicz-Płatek2Jan Wrona3Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, PolandDoctoral School, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, PolandFaculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, PolandFaculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, PolandThis paper presents the application of two versions of the multilayer fluidized bed made out of two materials with significantly different densities. The first type of fluidized bed was composed of raw cenospheres and quartz sand. The second type of fluidized bed was composed of cenospheres coated with iron oxides and quartz sand. A variable vertical density profiles in the prepared fluidized beds were confirmed, making them suitable for processing polymeric materials, specifically, polyolefins with a density below 1 g/cm<sup>3</sup>. The polyolefin pyrolysis process was investigated in both versions of the fluidized bed at temperatures of 520, 540, 560, and 590 °C. The products of the pyrolysis were monitored using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy (with a resolution of 1 cm<sup>−1</sup>). While the process is organized in these fluidized beds, the absence of the accumulation of solid residues is notable. The results show that the pyrolytic gaseous mixture is composed of numerous compounds, namely, unsaturated and saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons and benzene. The possibility of producing a gas rich in ethylene, propylene, and 1-butene during the pyrolysis was demonstrated. Additionally, during the pyrolysis of both polymers, the production of benzene was shown with yields, ranging from 5%<sub>wt.</sub> in the fluidized bed made out of raw cenospheres to 11 %<sub>wt.</sub> in the fluidized bed made out of cenospheres modified by iron oxides. Due to the complex nature of the resulting pyrolytic gas, it is suggested that we process the created gaseous mixtures entirely in a steam conversion process, making them a potential source of hydrogen.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1034fluidized bedpyrolysispolyolefinshydrocarbons |
| spellingShingle | Witold Żukowski Krystian Leski Gabriela Berkowicz-Płatek Jan Wrona Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels Energies fluidized bed pyrolysis polyolefins hydrocarbons |
| title | Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels |
| title_full | Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels |
| title_fullStr | Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels |
| title_short | Polyolefin Pyrolysis in Multilayer Fluidized Beds: An Innovative Approach to Obtain Valuable Alternative Fuels |
| title_sort | polyolefin pyrolysis in multilayer fluidized beds an innovative approach to obtain valuable alternative fuels |
| topic | fluidized bed pyrolysis polyolefins hydrocarbons |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/17/5/1034 |
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