Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis

Two sets of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) studies of the pyrolytic degradation of plastics were carried out in a non-isothermal manner. Both investigations were conducted at temperature ranging from 303K to 1173K in a nitrogen atmosphere. The first study assessed the thermal characteristics of pu...

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Main Author: Ma, Lin
Other Authors: Wang Jing-Yuan
Format: Final Year Project (FYP)
Language:English
Published: 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45192
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author Ma, Lin
author2 Wang Jing-Yuan
author_facet Wang Jing-Yuan
Ma, Lin
author_sort Ma, Lin
collection NTU
description Two sets of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) studies of the pyrolytic degradation of plastics were carried out in a non-isothermal manner. Both investigations were conducted at temperature ranging from 303K to 1173K in a nitrogen atmosphere. The first study assessed the thermal characteristics of pure polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and low density polyethylene (LDPE) at four different heating rates, β, 5, 10, 20, 50 K/min. Two different kinetic models, the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method and the first order Coats-Redfern method, were adopted to calculate the kinetic parameters of the samples. Both methods showed that the pyrolysis of PS, PP and LDPE could be considered as a first order degradation process. However, the values of activation energy calculated based on the two methods were different. The first order Coats-Redfern method was concluded as the better kinetic model for this study, with activation energies of 267-292 kJ/mol for PS, 282-332 kJ/mol for PP, and 196-253 kJ/mol for LDPE at the four different heating rates. The second study analyzed the kinetics of thermal degradation of pure and waste PS, PP, and LDPE at a uniform heating rate of 10 K/min. The kinetic parameters calculated were based on the first order Coats Redfern method. Results indicated that the degradation of waste plastics followed first order reactions similar to their corresponding pure samples, whereas the kinetic parameters varied considerably due to the presence of different additives and impurities in the waste plastic samples.
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spelling ntu-10356/451922023-03-03T16:57:20Z Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis Ma, Lin Wang Jing-Yuan School of Civil and Environmental Engineering DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Waste management Two sets of Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) studies of the pyrolytic degradation of plastics were carried out in a non-isothermal manner. Both investigations were conducted at temperature ranging from 303K to 1173K in a nitrogen atmosphere. The first study assessed the thermal characteristics of pure polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), and low density polyethylene (LDPE) at four different heating rates, β, 5, 10, 20, 50 K/min. Two different kinetic models, the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method and the first order Coats-Redfern method, were adopted to calculate the kinetic parameters of the samples. Both methods showed that the pyrolysis of PS, PP and LDPE could be considered as a first order degradation process. However, the values of activation energy calculated based on the two methods were different. The first order Coats-Redfern method was concluded as the better kinetic model for this study, with activation energies of 267-292 kJ/mol for PS, 282-332 kJ/mol for PP, and 196-253 kJ/mol for LDPE at the four different heating rates. The second study analyzed the kinetics of thermal degradation of pure and waste PS, PP, and LDPE at a uniform heating rate of 10 K/min. The kinetic parameters calculated were based on the first order Coats Redfern method. Results indicated that the degradation of waste plastics followed first order reactions similar to their corresponding pure samples, whereas the kinetic parameters varied considerably due to the presence of different additives and impurities in the waste plastic samples. Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering) 2011-06-09T08:53:10Z 2011-06-09T08:53:10Z 2011 2011 Final Year Project (FYP) http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45192 en Nanyang Technological University 45 p. application/pdf
spellingShingle DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Waste management
Ma, Lin
Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
title Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
title_full Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
title_fullStr Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
title_full_unstemmed Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
title_short Pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
title_sort pyrolysis kinetics of pure and waste plastics by non isothermal thermogravimetric analysis
topic DRNTU::Engineering::Environmental engineering::Waste management
url http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45192
work_keys_str_mv AT malin pyrolysiskineticsofpureandwasteplasticsbynonisothermalthermogravimetricanalysis