Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a heavy expansion of plastic pollution due to the extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) worldwide. To avoid problems related to the entrance of these wastes into the environment, proper management of the disposal is required. Here, the steam gasificati...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5417 |
| _version_ | 1827733194105946112 |
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| author | Ieva Kiminaitė Judith González-Arias Nerijus Striūgas Justas Eimontas Martin Seemann |
| author_facet | Ieva Kiminaitė Judith González-Arias Nerijus Striūgas Justas Eimontas Martin Seemann |
| author_sort | Ieva Kiminaitė |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a heavy expansion of plastic pollution due to the extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) worldwide. To avoid problems related to the entrance of these wastes into the environment, proper management of the disposal is required. Here, the steam gasification/pyrolysis technique offers a reliable solution for the utilization of such wastes via chemical recycling into value-added products. The aim was to estimate the effect of thermo-chemical conversion temperature and steam-to-carbon ratio on the distribution of gaseous products obtained during non-catalytic steam gasification of 3-ply face masks and KN95 respirators in a fluidized bed reactor. Experimental results have revealed that the process temperature has a major influence on the composition of gases evolved. The production of syngas was significantly induced by temperature elevation from 700 °C to 800 °C. The highest molar concentration of H<sub>2</sub> gases synthesized from both types of face masks was estimated at 800 °C with the steam-to-carbon ratio varying from 0 to 2. A similar trend of production was also determined for CO gases. Therefore, investigated thermochemical conversion process is a feasible route for the conversion of used face masks to valuable a product such as syngas. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:07:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b31b3c8bad654eb484161226259d2daa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T01:07:01Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-b31b3c8bad654eb484161226259d2daa2023-11-18T19:10:03ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-07-011614541710.3390/en16145417Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam GasificationIeva Kiminaitė0Judith González-Arias1Nerijus Striūgas2Justas Eimontas3Martin Seemann4Laboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, SwedenLaboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Combustion Processes, Lithuanian Energy Institute, Breslaujos str. 3, LT-44403 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96 Göteborg, SwedenThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused a heavy expansion of plastic pollution due to the extensive use of personal protective equipment (PPE) worldwide. To avoid problems related to the entrance of these wastes into the environment, proper management of the disposal is required. Here, the steam gasification/pyrolysis technique offers a reliable solution for the utilization of such wastes via chemical recycling into value-added products. The aim was to estimate the effect of thermo-chemical conversion temperature and steam-to-carbon ratio on the distribution of gaseous products obtained during non-catalytic steam gasification of 3-ply face masks and KN95 respirators in a fluidized bed reactor. Experimental results have revealed that the process temperature has a major influence on the composition of gases evolved. The production of syngas was significantly induced by temperature elevation from 700 °C to 800 °C. The highest molar concentration of H<sub>2</sub> gases synthesized from both types of face masks was estimated at 800 °C with the steam-to-carbon ratio varying from 0 to 2. A similar trend of production was also determined for CO gases. Therefore, investigated thermochemical conversion process is a feasible route for the conversion of used face masks to valuable a product such as syngas.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5417personal protective equipmentsteam gasificationpyrolysissyngas productionfluidized bed reactor |
| spellingShingle | Ieva Kiminaitė Judith González-Arias Nerijus Striūgas Justas Eimontas Martin Seemann Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification Energies personal protective equipment steam gasification pyrolysis syngas production fluidized bed reactor |
| title | Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification |
| title_full | Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification |
| title_fullStr | Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification |
| title_full_unstemmed | Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification |
| title_short | Syngas Production from Protective Face Masks through Pyrolysis/Steam Gasification |
| title_sort | syngas production from protective face masks through pyrolysis steam gasification |
| topic | personal protective equipment steam gasification pyrolysis syngas production fluidized bed reactor |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/14/5417 |
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