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Evolved Gas Analysis of Waste Polypropylene, Cardboard, Wood Biomass and Their Blends: A TG–FTIR Approach
Summary
This study applies evolved gas analysis to examine the thermal decomposition products released when waste polypropylene is co-pyrolyzed with cardboard, wood, and their blends. Understanding the gas emissions from these mixed waste streams is relevant to developing safer and more efficient plastic waste-to-energy or chemical recycling processes.
In this study, the evolved gas analysis of polypropylene (PP), mixed wood biomass (WB), cardboard (CB), and their blends was investigated using a coupled thermo-gravimetric analysis–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG–FTIR) approach. The data obtained were used to semi-quantify the yield of volatile products from the individual feedstocks and their blends. Using N2/O2 (80/20) as the gasifying agent, the TG–FTIR setup was operated from ambient temperature to 850 °C at heating rates of 20 and 40 °C/min. The results indicated that the C–H stretching functional group exhibited higher yields in blends with greater PP mass percentages. In the CB/WB blends, C–H stretching recorded the lowest yield, ranging from 5 to 10 a.u. Conversely, blends containing an average PP mass of 16% showed C–H yields between 20 and 25 a.u. The levels of C–H were observed to increase proportionally with the PP mass fraction in the sample. Furthermore, the evolution of gases from carbonyl functional groups was the highest in the three-component blend with equal mass percentages, with C=O yields reaching 20–25 a.u. at 20 °C/min and 35–40 a.u. at 40 °C/min. The production of carbon monoxide (CO) was also highest in the three-component blend with equal mass percentages, yielding 9–10 a.u. Among the two-component blends, the PP/CB 50/50% blend exhibited the highest CO levels, ranging from 8 to 9 a.u. Overall, higher heating rates resulted in comparatively greater yields across all functional groups, particularly for C–H volatiles. These findings underscore the significance of blend composition and thermal ramping in optimising gasification performance. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of co-gasification dynamics and support the development of targeted feedstock strategies for efficient thermochemical conversion and improved control over volatile emissions.